Roland Barthes “Snippets from the course of love”

“Snippets from the course of love” is a sensitive journey by the French intellectual Roland Barthes (1915–1980) through the linguistic outbursts of a lover, triggered by seemingly trivial, random circumstances. The book was published in 1977 and became Barthes’ most popular work during his lifetime. One reason for this was undoubtedly the fact that the mystery of romantic love had never been approached in this way before. Barthes’ book is an essayistic fragmentary work, blending a research-pedagogical approach, literary experimentation, and his personal love life.

Barthes seeks to reveal the language-like nature of every feeling of love. The lover is in a crucible of meaning, frantically trying to attribute meaning to everything and everywhere, and therefore every problem and solution in their love is subject to verbal structure. The lover’s love is expressed in linguistic units or situations, whose adequacy is guaranteed only by the lover themselves. As a result, the lover is hopelessly alone in their love.

Thus, Barthes mercilessly illuminates, fragment by fragment, the monomaniacal situation of the lover, but also sheds light on possible escape routes. Perhaps for this reason, people from multiple generations have continued to turn to Barthes’ book for both explanation and inspiration.

Translated by Anti Saar
Edited and afterword by Neeme Lopp
Language editor: Piret Põldver
Design: Maria Muuk

Book format: Hardcover
Author: Roland Barthes
Translated by: Anti Saar
Edited by: Neeme Lopp
Designed by: Maria Muuk
Language: Estonian
Publisher: Estonian Academy of Arts Press
Publication year: 2023
Pages: 268
Dimensions: 200×116 mm

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