An Introduction to Narratology

by Monika Fludernik

An Introduction to Narratology is an accessible, practical guide to narratological theory and terminology and its application to literature. In this book, Monika Fludernik This textbook offers a comprehensive overview of the key aspects of narratology by a leading practitioner in the field. It demystifies the subject in a way that is accessible to beginners, but also reflects recent theoretical developments and narratology’s increasing popularity as a critical tool.

Genres: Nonfiction, College, Literature, Theory, Criticism, Reference

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was feeling narratologically deprived, so I grabbed this "introduction" to narratology to fill that hollow part of my soul. I was hoping to get a beginner's intro into the field because narratologists seem to bicker a lot about the definitions of "narrative, plot, discourse, story, author, etc" and I wanted to know precisely how they define the terminology of their field. Instead, the book is more of a summary than an introduction. It appears to be a good overview for people who are already aware of the issues and specific jargon of this field, but a poor text for those who might be approaching narratology for the first time. It was very disappointing. I literally had to force myself to read the last three chapters (which took twice as long as it should have because I kept stopping every other paragraph, staring around in disbelief and exasperation, wondering why I was still reading it).

[Hans Otterson]

As an amateur writer of fiction, I'm always looking for more perspectives and analysis on the art form. To that end, I stumbled across narratology, an academic discipline that seems to live somewhere between linguistics, literature studies, and structuralism.

But I read half of this book (and countless websites on the subject), and hell if I can tell what narratology is for. It certainly doesn't seem to provide any insight for the working writer with regard to how stories are constructed. It seems almost like a fetishistic sifting and taxonimizing of narrative process.

I really don't know, because this introduction isn't an introduction to the topic; it's more like an intro to the history of discourse in the topic, and the continuing discourse, as opposed to an actual introduction to concepts and applications.

What is narratology for? What does it do? Who is it for? Why would we use this approach to fiction? These questions are never answered, let alone asked. I'm not saying the subject is bullshit or anything, but I AM saying that I don't think it has much value for the working writer as such.

What I was hoping this would be was something like "Story Studies", a kind of cross between craft concerns and close reads. Looks like we still need to invent that field.

TH

[Ali A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

الكتاب مفيد مهمّ وممتع
وأكثر ما أفادني وسيفدني الفصل الثاني عشر وقائمة المصطلحات السرديّة
والكاتبة تحيلُ إلى كتبٍ عديدة تناولت عِلم السرد وإلى مجلّات تصدرها جامعات تعنى بشأن السرد وشؤونه...

[Ala Eden von Rabbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing I did not care for in Fludernik's approach is the apparent absence of knowledge of recent theories in semiotics, which proved to be disadvatageous when she inarticulately tried to illustrate what is in fact Greimas' isotopy as if it were some 'newfoundland' that she had discovered.

The book lacks visual representation as well save Stanzel's typology, which is surprising given the current structuralist trends in narratology in both the United States and Germany, and eventually heaped unnecessary difficulties in the process of mental representation.

Nevertheless, this title remains recommended for general audience and absolute beginners.

[Miquel Codony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha parecido un libro difícil pero estimulante. Me ha servido para aclarar conceptos y, sobretodo, para entender una forma de enfrentarse a la narrativa. Acabo de terminarlo y ya debería releerlo para refrescar los aspectos más sutiles (y son muchos). Es una magnífica introducción, pero sin duda alguien más formado le sacará mucho más provecho que yo. Margaritas a los cerdos, pero eso no quiere decir que los cerdos no tengan derecho a disfrutar de las margaritas :-)

Creo que a Pedro le gustaría.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for my class on narrative theory, and it not only made me a better reader, it also made me a better writer.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

everytime i read something in this field i think "why don't you just get your damn hands dirty doing proper criticism?" and in this book fludernik sez narratology is not to do with interpretation, and proves her point by making multiple howlers when she does mention interpretations of texts:

-she sez king lear is an ideologically closed play in contrast to the openness of medieval miracle plays
-she sez gravity's rainbow's ending could be read as revealing the whole thing is a film slothrop has seen
-she sez madame bovary is an attack by flaubert on permissive society

if this is the calibre of reading the narratologists are bringing to texts i'm glad they're plowing their own furrow over in the realm of linguistics.

[Koen Crolla · Rating 1 out of 5]

So apparently this entire field is a pseudo-intellectual grift.

[Jm_oriol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pues justo lo que promete, una introducción, quiza incluso demasiado somera, pero con una bibliografía considerable y recomendaciones para continuar avanzando.