Course in General Linguistics

This book laid the groundwork for structuralism and semiotics. I'm curious about its lasting impact and how contemporary linguists build on it.

The theory is dense but fascinating. I wonder if there are simpler ways to understand Saussure's ideas or if the complexity is intentional.

Saussure's emphasis on the arbitrary relationship between signifier and signified changed how we think about language. Was this a breakthrough idea at the time?