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New Critical Idiom
Narrative
This comprehensive, accessible guidebook traces the ways in which human beings have used narrative to make sense of time, space and identity over the centuries. Particular attention is given
* early narrative, from Hellenic and Hebraic
* the rise of the novel
* realist representation
* imperialism and narrative
* modernism and cinema
* postmodern narrative
* narrative and new technologies.
With a strong emphasis on clarity and a range of examples from oral cultures to cyberspace, this is the ideal guide to an essential critical topic.
* early narrative, from Hellenic and Hebraic
* the rise of the novel
* realist representation
* imperialism and narrative
* modernism and cinema
* postmodern narrative
* narrative and new technologies.
With a strong emphasis on clarity and a range of examples from oral cultures to cyberspace, this is the ideal guide to an essential critical topic.
288 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 1989
20 people are currently reading
163 people want to read
About the author
Paul Cobley
35 books14 followersPaul Cobley, Reader in Communications at London Metropolitan University, is an Executive Committee Member of the International Association for Semiotic Studies (IASS), a member of the Semiotic Society of America and of the Media Communication and Cultural Studies Association (MeCCSA). He is the author of a number of books, including The American Thriller (2000) and Narrative (2001). He edited The Communication Theory Reader (1996), The Routledge Companion to Semiotics and Linguistics (2001), Communication Theories 4 vols. (2006), and (with Adam Briggs) The Media: An Introduction 2nd edn (2001); he co-edits two journals: Subject Matters and Social Semiotics and is associate editor of Cybernetics and Human Knowing; he is series editor of Routledge Introductions to Media and Communications and is co-editor of the series Semiotics, Communication and Cognition (Mouton de Gruyter).
His new book, Contemporary Semiotics (Mouton de Gruyter), will be published in 2009. He currently has two edited books in press, Realism for the 21st Century: A John Deely Reader (University of Scranton Press) and The Routledge Companion to Semiotics (Routledge). A third edition of The Media (with Daniele Albertazzi) will be published in 2009.
Cobley’s research interests lie mainly in semiotics and include the work of Thomas A. Sebeok, biosemiotics, systems theory, subjectivity, popular narrative and communication theory. His recent work has attempted to make clear the cultural implications of biosemiotics, partly through a ‘biosemiotic praxis’ involving Modelling Systems Theory.
http://www.semioticon.com/semiotix/se...
His new book, Contemporary Semiotics (Mouton de Gruyter), will be published in 2009. He currently has two edited books in press, Realism for the 21st Century: A John Deely Reader (University of Scranton Press) and The Routledge Companion to Semiotics (Routledge). A third edition of The Media (with Daniele Albertazzi) will be published in 2009.
Cobley’s research interests lie mainly in semiotics and include the work of Thomas A. Sebeok, biosemiotics, systems theory, subjectivity, popular narrative and communication theory. His recent work has attempted to make clear the cultural implications of biosemiotics, partly through a ‘biosemiotic praxis’ involving Modelling Systems Theory.
http://www.semioticon.com/semiotix/se...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 5, 2017
"In the sphere of the human capacity for narrative, however much we look for function, the brilliant thing about narrative is that it so frequently serves no direct function whatsoever. This conclusion does not entail that narrative makes one a better person as some philosophers believe. Yet it can allow a more nuanced differentiation of the world which ultimately offers the opportunity, along with other numerous non-narrative means, to become 'good'." (p.242)
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May 1, 2024English Literature Critisim Recommended Reading List at Oxford According to Benjamin McEvoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Q2J...
November 14, 2016
Cobley has explained narratives ranging from oral to written to print to cinematic to radio to television to cyberspace. He has examined how every narrative transits from presentation to 're-presentation'. Interconnected terminologies like 'realism', 'modernity', and 'postmodernism', are elaborately explained with effective illustrations. The text provides a robust understanding of "narrative" in order to deconstruct any given text on the same term.
November 26, 2025
Narrative (2nd edition) by Paul Cobley is a bit of a different beast for me — because, at the end of the day, it is a textbook. This is one of the titles recommended by BookTuber Benjamin McEvoy in his "How to Get an Oxford English Education for Free" video, specifically the first book he listed in the English Literature Criticism category. And reading it, you can absolutely tell: this is a book designed to be paired with lectures, discussion, and a professor guiding you through the denser bits.
The subject matter itself is fascinating. Cobley starts by defining narrative in contrast to "story" and "plot," then dives deep into the history of narrative from Gilgamesh through the Greeks, especially Homer. He draws distinctions between early narrative traditions — such as Hellenic vs. Hebraic modes of storytelling — which I found interesting, even if I occasionally felt like I needed to be taking notes for an exam.
One of the most engaging sections for me was the chapter on the rise (and rise) of the novel. Since novels are my main interest as a reader — not so much writing narrative theory — this was right in my wheelhouse. Cobley walks through examples of novels throughout history, eventually spending an entire chapter analyzing Eliot's Middlemarch. I haven't read it, but he explained the scenes well enough that I didn't feel completely lost. His section on Conrad's Heart of Darkness was easier to follow since I have read that one, though it eventually spiraled into commentary on the film Apocalypse Now, which I haven't seen.
After that, Cobley transitions heavily into narrative in cinema. In hindsight, this shouldn't have surprised me — he opens the book by saying narrative exists everywhere in human life, not just literature. Still, I was expecting more of a literature-focused study, so the shift into film analysis was a mixed experience for me: helpful, yes, but not exactly what I came for.
The biggest hurdle, though, was the overly formal, hyper-academic tone. "Technical" isn't exactly the right word — it's more clinical, laboratory-sterile English. For example, he'll say "a social media website known as Facebook" instead of just "Facebook," or refer to TV and movies as "audio-visual narrative." These aren't wrong, just... odd. It gave parts of the book a pedantic flavor that occasionally took me out of the material. I don't mind academic writing — I expected it — but some of the phrasing felt unnecessarily stiff, like he's writing for an audience that somehow doesn't know what Facebook is.
All of that said, I did enjoy learning more about how narrative functions, evolves, and embeds itself into everyday life. As someone working to grow as a literature critic, I got value from it. But I also found myself repeatedly thinking: This would be so much more fulfilling with a professor guiding interpretive discussions. That's probably the point — this isn't mainstream nonfiction. It's a course text.
In the end, I gave Narrative 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded down to 3 on Goodreads. It's interesting, it's dense, it's occasionally frustrating, and it's not written for casual readers. But if — like me — you're determined to follow Benjamin McEvoy's pseudo-Oxford curriculum (or if you simply want to challenge yourself with narrative theory), this might be worth your time. Otherwise, there are plenty of more accessible books out there for those of us not actually pursuing an Oxford degree.
The subject matter itself is fascinating. Cobley starts by defining narrative in contrast to "story" and "plot," then dives deep into the history of narrative from Gilgamesh through the Greeks, especially Homer. He draws distinctions between early narrative traditions — such as Hellenic vs. Hebraic modes of storytelling — which I found interesting, even if I occasionally felt like I needed to be taking notes for an exam.
One of the most engaging sections for me was the chapter on the rise (and rise) of the novel. Since novels are my main interest as a reader — not so much writing narrative theory — this was right in my wheelhouse. Cobley walks through examples of novels throughout history, eventually spending an entire chapter analyzing Eliot's Middlemarch. I haven't read it, but he explained the scenes well enough that I didn't feel completely lost. His section on Conrad's Heart of Darkness was easier to follow since I have read that one, though it eventually spiraled into commentary on the film Apocalypse Now, which I haven't seen.
After that, Cobley transitions heavily into narrative in cinema. In hindsight, this shouldn't have surprised me — he opens the book by saying narrative exists everywhere in human life, not just literature. Still, I was expecting more of a literature-focused study, so the shift into film analysis was a mixed experience for me: helpful, yes, but not exactly what I came for.
The biggest hurdle, though, was the overly formal, hyper-academic tone. "Technical" isn't exactly the right word — it's more clinical, laboratory-sterile English. For example, he'll say "a social media website known as Facebook" instead of just "Facebook," or refer to TV and movies as "audio-visual narrative." These aren't wrong, just... odd. It gave parts of the book a pedantic flavor that occasionally took me out of the material. I don't mind academic writing — I expected it — but some of the phrasing felt unnecessarily stiff, like he's writing for an audience that somehow doesn't know what Facebook is.
All of that said, I did enjoy learning more about how narrative functions, evolves, and embeds itself into everyday life. As someone working to grow as a literature critic, I got value from it. But I also found myself repeatedly thinking: This would be so much more fulfilling with a professor guiding interpretive discussions. That's probably the point — this isn't mainstream nonfiction. It's a course text.
In the end, I gave Narrative 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded down to 3 on Goodreads. It's interesting, it's dense, it's occasionally frustrating, and it's not written for casual readers. But if — like me — you're determined to follow Benjamin McEvoy's pseudo-Oxford curriculum (or if you simply want to challenge yourself with narrative theory), this might be worth your time. Otherwise, there are plenty of more accessible books out there for those of us not actually pursuing an Oxford degree.
September 28, 2019
Probably a good book if you're more into the meta details of what a narrative is, what it can do and how it's evolved. But of little use to a film student trying to find more tips on crafting narratives itself.
February 10, 2025
Ok! Thanks Cobley! This was not very interesting but was at least easy to follow!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews