Telling Stories: Postmodernism and the Invalidation of Traditional Narrative

by Michael Roemer

Michael Roemer's groundbreaking work argues that every story, be it ancient myth or documentary film, is completed before we read or watch it. He explores why a society like ours — predicated on free will — is addicted to tales that neither we, nor the heroes, can control. Roemer argues that, contrary to both formalist and postmodern aesthetic theories, traditional stories do not create order out of chaos but challenge our order with chaos, undermining the structures we have built to protect ourselves. He finds that stories are both radical and conservative, invalidating our freedom while centering on heroes or heroines who are obliged to act alone; their adventures remove them from the sheltering community. Moreover, their attempt to escape the plot is mandated by the plot itself. Predicated on contradiction, ambiguity, and uncertainty, stories affirm what they deny — just as society both affirms and denies our existence as individuals.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Theory

499 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Michael Roemer was a film director, producer, and writer. He won several awards for his films, which include Nothing But a Man and The Plot Against Harry. He was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. A professor at Yale University for over 50 years, he was the author of Telling Stories.

Reviews

[Carlos Valladares]

Michael Roemer 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐

[Abner Rosenweig]

Much more than narratology or literary criticism, Telling Stories transcends its subject and provides stunning insight into the human condition. Most of the book is written in a highly accessible style, in short, bite-size sections to ruminate over. But just because it's accessible doesn't mean it's an easy read. Rather, it's dense and viscous; every page is full of wisdom and requires reflection and multiple reads. The text is repetitive at times, but the repetition helps the reader absorb the complex ideas on the role of story in our lives, on paradox and contradiction, on positivist postmodern culture, the value of traditional narrative, love of fate, and more. The prodigious scholarship ranges over vast swaths of humanities territory: philosophy, psychology, literature, art, mythology, cultural criticism, economics, physics, and more. The endnotes alone are rich, insightful, and entertaining. I only wish the author were more prolific. The book is a genuine masterpiece.

[Tim]

although i can't say i've read this book cover to cover- i have probalby read 80% of it and treat it as a useful and fascinating reference, and inspiration, whenever i think about fiction and its meaning.