Jörg’s Reviews > Fragmente einer Sprache der Liebe > Status Update

Many figures are pathologic. If written today, they would represent ghosting, gaslighting, narcissism, toxic behaviour. Glad that he couldn't use these terms of relationship war. The fragments are a mixed bag. In some he achieves his goal of reader identification. Often, he's lost in semiotics or pet peeves. If relationships featured all of them, I'd stay single for life.

The fragments are a discourse by someone deeply in love. Those lukewarm on love won't find much here. It is far from a self-help book anyway. No recommendations, just observation, thoughts, recollections. Ordered into those fragments. And always again Werther. Barthes must have gone through every word Goethe wrote and weighted it for this discourse. Nothing found too light in Werther.

The trouble begins with the definition of discourse (used for the French and English title) vs. language (the German title). For a semiotician, this might be clear. I lack the reference scheme. The sum of the fragments is the discourse of love. Each fragment is a figure, described exclusively by the loving one as the subject. Barthes' slip box about love, ordered alphabetically.