Description
Book SynopsisNarrative is a powerful element of human culture, storing and sharing the cherished parts of our personal memories and giving structure to our laws, entertainment, and history. This book introduces an approach to studying narrative, identifying three basic strategies: single focus, dual focus, and multiple focus.
Trade ReviewThis is a large, ambitious study that proposes an original, comprehensive theory of narrative. Rick Altman draws on examples ranging from the Bible to Hollywood films, from classical epic and pastoral to medieval heroic poetry, and from saints' lives to nineteenth- and twentieth-century French, British, and American novels, all analyzed within an impressively parsimonious scheme. -- Peter Garrett, University of Illinois An elegant and pertinent theory. -- Matt Campora Media/Culture Reviews
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Note 1. What is Narrative? 2. The Song...of Roland? 3. Dual-Focus Narrative 4. Hester's Speculation 5. Single-Focus Narrative 6. Pieter Bruegel, or the Space of Multiplicity 7. Multiple-Focus Narrative 8. Theoretical Conclusion 9. Practical Conclusion References Index
