The Quest for Meaning: A Guide to Semiotic Theory and Practice (review)

Why study semiotics? According to Marcel Danesi, the quest for meaning is at the heart of every human experience, as he clearly puts it in the preface of his book: ‘Semiotics is not just a technique that fictional detectives use to solve mysteries; it is an academic discipline in its own right that studies the most critical of all features of human sapience – the capacity to create and use signs (words, symbols, etc.).’ Intended to serve as an introduction to basic semiotic theory and practice, Danesi’s book undoubtedly provides a very solid survey of its main trends, ideas, and techniques, and it does so in a lively and succinct way, making an otherwise complex discipline accessible to any interested reader. Thus, the book should be useful and appealing not only to undergraduate students wishing to learn more about the science of meaning, but also to course designers who will appreciate the clear organization of its contents.

With only 160 pages of text, this guidebook has had to limit its scope. The first chapter is a compact introduction to semiotics and offers a relatively brief but concise history of the term. It also serves to introduce the reader to the definition of semiotics by explaining two fundamental models of the sign – the one put forward by Saussure, and the one elaborated by Peirce. The following chapters deal with the epistemological and methodological apparatus: chapter 2 examines the concepts of symptoms, signals, icons, indexes, symbols, and names. In chapter 3, Danesi discusses the structural economy of the sign by explaining paradigmatic, syntagmatic, and associative structure as well as the notion of post-structuralism. Chapter 4 explores the definition of codes and focuses on specific questions and problems (such as types of codes, opposition and markedness, codes and perception), while chapter 5 discovers different genres of text – narrative, visual, and cultural. Chapter 6 deals with the themes of representation, myth, and reality. The final chapter is the most attractive: having presented the basic tools of semiotic theory and analysis, Danesi illustrates how semiotics can be fruitfully applied to interdisciplinary research of material culture, ranging across such topics as clothing and food.

The editorial apparatus is well conceived with updated bibliographies at the end of each chapter, annotation of only the most essential information, a handy Glossary of Technical Terms, and a practical Index of Names and Notions. The best feature of the book lies within the varied examples it offers: from detective stories such as The Name of the Rose and The Da Vinci Code to mathematics, Danesi convincingly shows the real strength of a semiotic interpretation, and surely can inspire his reader to pursue the adventurous but fascinating path of semiotics.