Basic Elements of Narrative

by David Herman

Basic Elements of Narrative outlines a way of thinking about what narrative is and how to identify its basic elements across various media, introducing key concepts developed by previous theorists and contributing original ideas to the growing body of scholarship on stories. Includes an overview of recent developments in narrative scholarship Provides an accessible introduction to key concepts in the field Views narrative as a cognitive structure, type of text, and resource for interpersonal communication Uses examples from literature, face to face interaction, graphic novels, and film to explore the core features of narrative Includes a glossary of key terms, full bibliography, and comprehensive index Appropriate for multiple audiences, including students, non-specialists, and experts in the field

Genres: Theory, Linguistics, Cultural Studies, Writing, Narrative, Criticism

271 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

David Herman is Professor of the Engaged Humanities, Department of English Studies, Durham University (United Kingdom).

Reviews

[مسعود · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب برخلاف بسیاری از کتاب‌های ترجمه شده در حوزه روایت‌پژوهی کلی حرف تازه برای گفتن دارد. به ویژه مباحثی همچون انطباق شناختی، جهان‌پردازی، جهان پریشی، و هم‌بوم‌پنداری بسیار جذاب و هوشمندانه در کتابمطرح و بررسی شده‌اند. ارجاعات خیلی خوب با توضیحات مکفی به منابع دیگر هم دروازه‌هایی را برای علاقمندان به این مفاهیم می‌گشاید تا در منابع دیگر مفصل‌تر و بیشتر در این باره بخوانند.
پ.ن. کتاب برای کسانی که قصد ورود به دنیای روایت‌وژوهی را دارند اصلا ورودی مناسبی نیست. فرض کرده با نظریات مختلف روایت تا حد خوبی آشنا هستید و بر این اساس به طرح نظریه‌ی متفاوت خود درباره چهار عنصر بنیادین روایت پرداخته است. کتاب هرچه پیش‌تر می‌رود جذاب‌تر و خواندنی‌تر می‌شود و برای پژوهشگران جدی حوزه روایت بسیار نکات اندیشیدنی جذابی در بر دارد.

[Roy Kenagy · Rating 5 out of 5]

September 3: I've finished my first reading; now to review the passages and citations I marked and write full notes. Herman asserts that narrative texts can be distinguished because of situatedness (an occasion for telling), event sequencing, worldmaking/world disruption, and what it's like (experiential focus). In setting out his claims, he provides a succinct overview of current narrative theory and sets the work of key theorists in context.

June 17: I am designing an experiment to test the hypothesis that a disproportionate number of the "nonfiction" texts that are selected for home use in a public library are narrative rather than expository. Herman has a chapter on text types that I think will help me develop an instrument to be used by volunteers to classify the text types of random samples of books in use and not in use.