The reader will find here the majority of the interviews that Roland Barthes gave in the French language. This is the first sentence of the brief preface that the editor has included in this posthumously published volume. This succinct remark introduces a collection that can be read as Roland Barthes' commentary on his own work. Barthes addresses almost every one of his works, responds to objections, explains his intentions, and raises new questions whose answers remain to be found. At the same time, these interviews serve as explanations and extensions of what Barthes has written: they complement his work and provide the best introduction to his thinking. Since these conversations span over time, they demonstrate how the practice of criticism leads the theorist and critic beyond previously held positions.