Barthes claims that Pleasure is not the lesser, nor Bliss the greater form of the same thing. That instead, they run parallel, and may even be in conflict. In an interesting argument he brings up the inability to speak of Bliss in words, while text that is labeled Pleasure, cannot be explained in words. Sort of like the sexual "oh, Gaawwwd, yes, yes!" versus the final "aaaaargh…"
There is more that Barthes gives as illustration, something relative to history and possibility. Trouble is, I don’t quite get everything that he presents here. What I cannot grasp, I reread a few times. Then I move on.
This is where study in a class atmosphere is more conducive to learning; when the questions can be discussed, argued, answered in some sort of manner. When you read alone, you either give up, or carry the rocks of information along instead of laying them along the path. This book, in other words, will need to be read again, in a better time, a smarter time. But I will get out of it for now what I can.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology