Roland Barthes (1915-1980) was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician whose work has been central to the delineation and development of numerous schools of theory, including structuralism, semiotics, existentialism, social theory, Marxism, anthropology, and post-structuralism. His books include The Preparation of the Novel: Lecture Courses and Seminars at the Collège de France (1978-1979 and 1979-1980); The Neutral: Lecture Course at the College de France (1977-1978); Mythologies; S/Z; A Lover's Discourse; and Camera Lucida.

Kate Briggs is the translator of Roland Barthes's The Preparation of the Novel: Lecture Courses and Seminars at the College de France (1978-1979 and 1979-1980).

Foreword
Preface
Translator's Preface
Session of January 12
INTRODUCTION
Method? (Method. Culture) – Fantasy – My fantasy: idiorrhythmy – Monarchism
Session of January 19
INTRODUCTION (continued)
Works – Greek network – Traits
AKÈDIA / AKEDIA
Session of January 26
ANACHÔRÈSIS / ANACHORESIS
Historically – Metaphorically
ANIMAUX / ANIMALS
1. Robinson Crusoe (Phases. History) – 2. Anachorites
ATHOS / ATHOS
History – Space
Session of February 2
ATHOS / ATHOS (continued)
Way of Life – Ownership – Power
AUTARCHIE / AUTARKY
BANC / SCHOOL
BÉGUINAGES / BEGUINAGES
History – Space – Way of Life – Socio-Economics – Power – Conclusion
Session of February 9
BUREAUCRATIE / BUREAUCRACY
CAUSE / CAUSE
Christianity – Other sorts of Telos – Bion – Homeostasis
CHAMBRE / ROOM
1. The total space
Session of February 16
CHAMBRE / ROOM (continued)
2. The room becomes isolated within the house – 3. The room loses its association with the couple ? Cella – The Magnificenza
CHEF / CHIEF
Session of March 2
CLÔTURE / ENCLOSURE
Functions (Protection. Definition) – Extreme-experience
COLONIE D'ANACHORÈTES / COLONY OF ANACHORITES
1. Qumran sect – 2. Monks of Nitria – 3. Carthusians – 4. The Solitaires of Port-Royal
Session of March 9
COUPLAGE / PAIRING
1. Principle of pairing – 2. Two examples of strong pairing (Lausaic History
DISTANCE / DISTANCE
DOMESTIQUES / SERVANTS
1. Need = Desire – 2. Need ? Desire
Session of March 16
ÉCOUTE / HEARING
Territory and hearing – Repression and hearing
ÉPONGE / SPONGE
ÉVÉNEMENT / EVENT
FLEURS / FLOWERS
IDYLLIQUE / IDYLL
Session of March 23
MARGINALITÉS / MARGINALITIES
First margin: coenobitism – Second margin: idiorrhythmy
MONÔSIS / MONOSIS
One / Two – The desire for Two – In praise of One
NOMS / NAMES
Nicknames
Session of March 30
NOMS / NAMES (continued)
Caritatism – No Name
NOURRITURE / FOOD
1. Rhythms – 2. The foods themselves (the divisions of the forbidden: what's forbidden / what's tolerated). The connotations of food
Session of April 20
PROXÉMIE / PROXEMICS
The notion – The lamp – The bed
RECTANGLE / RECTANGLE
Civilization of the rectangle – The frame – Subversions?
RÈGLE / RULE
Regula – Territory – Rule and Custom – Rule and Law
Session of April 27
SALETÉ / DIRTINESS
Noteworthy – Meaning – Tact
XÉNITIA / XENITIA
Semantic network – False image – Dereality – Conclusion
Session of May 4
UTOPIE / UTOPIA
BUT WHAT ABOUT METHOD?
1. Traits. Figures. Boxes – 2. Classification – 3. Digression – 4. Opening a dossier – 5. The supporting-text
WHAT IS IT TO HOLD FORTH?
RESEARCH ON INVESTED SPEECH
Seminar
Session of January 12
HOLDING FORTH
"So
Session of March 23
CHARLUS-DISCOURSE
1. Kinetics – 2. Triggers
Session of March 30
CHARLUS-DISCOURSE (continued)
3. Allocutionary authority (Andromache. Charlus-Discourse) – 4. Forces ("Psychology." "Psychoanalysis." Intensities) – To take my leave and fix a new appointment
SUMMARY
NOTES
GLOSSARY OF GREEK TERMS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX NOMINUM
INDEX RERUM