Narrative Form
By Suzanne Keen Palgrave MacMillan, New York: 2003
ISBN: 0-333-96097-1
Reviewed by Simone Bonim - March 17, 2006
Geared toward advanced writing students, Narrative Form, by Suzanne Keen is an informative textbook and guide to the vocabulary and methodology of the narrative form in fiction. The text is divided into eleven, thematically organized chapters covering:
Major Approaches to and Theorists of Narrative
Shapes of Narrative: A Whole of Parts
Narrative Situation: Who's Who and What's its Function
People on Paper: Character, Characterization, and Represented Minds
Plot and Causation: Related Events
Timing: How Long and How Often?
Order and Disorder
Levels: Realms of Existence
Fictional Worlds and Fictionality
Disguises: Fiction in the Form of Nonfiction Texts
Genres and Conventions
The chapters all follow a unified structure, in that each begins with a short introduction to the topic followed by a definition of terms, analytical strategies, a list of keywords, and a list of further reading. Endnotes, a bibliography, a list of terms organized by chapter and a reading list of representative texts that illustrate the topics discussed in this book round out this edifying text.
Narrative Form is well suited for use in University-level writing courses, and it is also well suit for use by independent learners seeking to improve their understanding of the various narrative forms and how they are incorporated into a range of literary genres. This is also an important book for students of literature interested in learning how to interpret and analyze fictional narratives in novels.
