«As a first introduction to the work of Roland Barthes, The Grain of the Voice could not be bettered...Stimulated by generally intelligent questioners, Barthes here talks about the development of his thought, explains why and how he wrote his many books, and pays tributes to philosophers, linguists, novelists, poets, painters and film-makers who have interested and inspired him... What comes across most vividly is the sheer gusto of a man who never stopped developing and changing, never stopped interacting with contemporaries of all ages and all tastes, and never stopped enjoying his intellectual activities and spiritual explorations.»

Washington Post