Narrative Form

by Suzanne Keen

This handbook concisely introduces narrative form to advanced students of fiction. Beginning with a survey of major theorists and approaches, and using clearly defined terms, Narrative Form explains critical vocabulary and offers a variety of strategies for analyzing the formal qualities of fiction. Keen suggests that interpretations of form can be effectively integrated with contemporary approaches to literature, including feminist, postcolonial, and cultural studies methodologies. Narrative Form shows how to use the language of formal analysis accurately and innovatively.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

204 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Keira Mc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for one of my classes.

It did an excellent job at summarizing different aspects of literary theory although it could be a bit dense at times. Reading just a few pages at a time worked best for me and let me more carefully consider what was being written.

[Nelma Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend it to anyone interested in literary and narrative analysis. If you're a researcher or just want to ask engaging questions from the implied author when you read a book, this guide manages to hone your analytical skills and introduce useful material to dig deeper. You can also learn many terms used in narratology to describe a text's features, which makes reading critique of the literary works much easier. I specifically enjoyed the part about "paratexts" because we've often heard the expression "Don't judge a book by its cover" in a deriding manner that refers to ignorance, but the right expression is rather : "There are constructive ways to judge a book's cover that could improve your reading experience."

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Selkee!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keen has done her best to make an overview of complicated theory in-depth enough to satisfy professors of narrative theory and approachable enough to be accessible to students without much background of philosophy or specific theoretical schools like Bahktin. I really appreciated the breakdown in each chapter not just of the topic, but highlighting key terms/phrases and the addition of some analytical lenses to guide study.

That said, it’s a textbook and thus is influenced by how a professor utilizes it. Narrative theory is complicated and even with an excellent instructor who prioritizes student-led discussion, it’s not easy to access. I mean, it’s not Judith Butler but it’s not far off. Maybe that says more about my ability than the text, but what I’m trying to say is that it isn’t a book you sit down and read cover to cover. Without doing some necessary practical application of concepts via analysis of other texts, the reader won’t get much out of it beyond some vocabulary and namedropping.

[John Herceg · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I personally felt the author's style dry and monotonous...esp the first few chapters, soon I understood her rhythm and learned what to expect from each chapter. Regardless, the sheer amount of useful information I was able to draw from Keen's book made it a top-shelf choice for me.

[Paul Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is required for my Theory class. Keen is a bit naive, but it's what she doesn't say that gives this book value...in a strange way.

[JimBee]

Great book if you are interested in narrative. Academic but readable by the curious.

[Holly]

A lot to read straight through, but still a very valuable resource for writing about narrative theory and form.