Narratology and the Study of Novelistic Style (Third Edition)

Author: Shen Dan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book is a monograph that combines narrative studies with the study of novel stylistics. Narrative studies and novel stylistics hold a very important position in contemporary Western novel criticism theory. Their research results have deepened the understanding of the structural forms, operational principles, expressive methods, or aesthetic qualities of novels, and have improved the level of appreciating and reviewing novel art. This book aims to conduct an in-depth and systematic analysis of some of the main theories in narrative studies and novel stylistics, in order to clarify relevant concepts, and to revise and supplement relevant theories and analytical models through a large number of case analyses. This book particularly explores and clarifies the relationship between these two schools, in order to help fill the gaps in academic research in this area. The book is divided into three parts: the upper, middle, and lower parts. The upper and middle parts respectively present original and insightful theories of narrative studies and stylistics. The lower part systematically explores the dialectical relationship between the "discourse" of narrative studies and the "style" of stylistics, and conducts an in-depth study of their overlaps from different perspectives. This book has two main purposes: one is to fill in the gaps, focusing more on issues that have been overlooked by the critical theory so far, while briefly or omitting discussions on issues that have already received attention. The other is to clarify some issues that have remained unclear so far, mainly stemming from the conceptual and categorical confusion in Western theory. The book is rich in references, with meticulous distinctions, and is both profound and original.