Narrative Studies and the Study of Novelistic Style

Author: Shen Dan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book is a monograph that combines the study of narrative theory with the study of fictional stylistics. Narrative theory and fictional stylistics hold a very important position in contemporary Western novel criticism theory. Their research outcomes deepen the understanding of the structural forms, operational principles, expressive methods, or aesthetic qualities of novels, and enhance the level of appreciating and reviewing novel art. This book aims to provide an in-depth and systematic analysis of some of the main theories of narrative theory and fictional stylistics, in order to clarify relevant concepts, and through extensive case analyses, to revise and supplement related theories and analytical models. This book specifically examines and explores the relationship between the two schools, in order to help fill the academic research gaps in this area. The book is divided into three parts: the first and second parts provide insightful and original analyses of the theories of narrative and stylistics, respectively, while the third part systematically explores the dialectical relationship between "discourse" in narrative theory and "style" in stylistics, conducting in-depth research on their overlaps from different perspectives. This book has two main purposes: one is to fill the gaps, devoting more attention to issues that have been overlooked by the critical theory community so far, while discussing already addressed issues concisely or briefly, and the other is to clarify some hitherto ambiguous issues, mainly stemming from the conceptual and categorical confusion in Western theory. The book is rich in references, with meticulous distinctions, and is highly profound and original.