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H. Porter Abbott
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The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative Hardcover – 17 April 2008

by H. Porter Abbott (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 132
Edition: 2nd
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The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative
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What is narrative? How does it work and how does it shape our lives and the texts we read? H. Porter Abbott emphasizes that narrative is found not just in literature, film, and theater, but everywhere in the ordinary course of people's lives. This widely used introduction, now thoroughly revised, is informed throughout by recent developments in the field and includes two new chapters. With its lucid exposition of concepts and suggestions for further reading, this book is not only an excellent introduction for courses focused on narrative but also an invaluable resource for students and scholars across a wide range of fields, including literature and drama, film and media, society and politics, journalism, autobiography, history, and still others throughout the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0521887194
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0521887199
  3. Edition
    2
  4. Publisher
    Cambridge University Press
  5. Publication date
    17 April 2008
  6. Part of series
    Cambridge Introductions to Literature
  7. Language
    English
  8. Dimensions
    15.24 x 2.54 x 22.86 cm
  9. Print length
    272 pages
  10. See all details
Next page

Product description

Review

'Abbott brilliantly zeroes in on the architecture of narrative with an exactness and bent for orderly exposition that utterly redeems his subject.' The Chronicle of Higher Education

'Anyone seeking a lucidly written guide to the study of narrative technique should turn immediately to H. Porter Abbott's Cambridge Introduction to Narrative.' Literature/Film Quarterly

'Written in an unfailingly lucid style that nonetheless refuses to 'dumb down' the major research questions facing analysts of stories, this book provides an ideal starting-point for readers seeking a synoptic overview of recent scholarship on narrative. More than just a primer for readers unfamiliar with previous research on stories, however, Abbott's book itself represents a significant contribution to the field of narrative studies.' David Herman, editor of The Cambridge Companion to Narrative

'Directness, accessibility, and coherence distinguish this brief but comprehensive study of narrative ... Most highly recommended.' Choice

'A lucid, practical, wide-ranging, and often original introduction to narrative, which will be extremely useful in undergraduate and graduate courses on literary theory and criticism. This is not a dry textbook, however; the reader is made aware of a real voice and of a fascination with the role of narrative across many areas of culture and beyond.' Derek Attridge

Book Description

This popular textbook has been completely revised and updated, and includes two entirely new chapters.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (17 April 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0521887194
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0521887199
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.54 x 22.86 cm
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 132

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H. Porter Abbott

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4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
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Singadi Chinnadevi
1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
Reviewed in India on 10 December 2018
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The book was badly damaged. I returned it.
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A. J. Sutter
5.0 out of 5 stars Very user-friendly
Reviewed in the United States on 18 March 2015
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This is a clear and enjoyable introduction to the topic of narrative. I had thought that reading skinny little French books might be an efficient way to learn about the subject, yet somehow I never could bring myself to finish them. This book was more than double the length of some of those, but it did the trick. Contra to another reviewer's complaint about a lack of definitions, the book includes a glossary/index of technical terms at the back, which I found helpful on more than one occasion. Another nice feature is that at the end of each chapter the author mentions not only scholarly works for further reading, but also novels, films, plays and other literary forms that illustrate the issues just discussed.

Most important, the author never makes you feel that reading literature needs to be an academic chore. He presents things in such a down-to-earth way that being more aware of narrative's philosophical complexity can add to one's enjoyment, instead of sucking it out. He leaves the jelly in the jelly donut, so to speak; for a counterexample, see, e.g., Leech and Short's "Style in Fiction" (Routledge 2007), which has some topical overlap with this book.

Narrative has been a hot topic for a while in US law schools. Maybe for that reason this second edition adds a chapter highlighting the competition of narratives in US/UK-style law trials. What I'd like to see in a third edition is something even more broadly relevant: more discussion of narrative competitions in politics. In the meantime, this book gave me a lot of ideas to use in a politics and literature class I'll be teaching. But I don't think you need any academic motivation to find this book stimulating: a love of reading and a curiosity about how it works is probably enough.
18 people found this helpful
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Aedon Young
5.0 out of 5 stars The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative
Reviewed in Canada on 1 February 2014
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Excellent entry to the subject. Very readable. I especially appreciated the suggestions for further reading detailed at the end of each chapter.
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Dean Swift
5.0 out of 5 stars cool and clear-headed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 November 2010
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I enjoyed this no end. A concise, well-organised, beautifully clear-headed book. Porter Abbott is generous to every idea and, in caring about them, he does them justice. Here is an author who evidently loves his subject - and this is infectious. But he does not preach, he simply opens up the subject and encourages further curiosity. Above all, the book makes you thirst again for the primary texts with the feeling that, the next time you read, the experience will be richer for what you now know. All introductions to a subject should be like this.
8 people found this helpful
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James Hunter Ross
5.0 out of 5 stars A very rich and clear introduction...
Reviewed in the United States on 19 February 2020
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I read this because I have an interest in narrative, both as it applies to literature and film, but also when used to influence, convince, and "spin". The writing is very clear, enjoyable to read, and flows nicely. This is scholarly stuff being "introduced", but none of it is dumbed down. The references are abundant and there is a very useful glossary. I cannot imagine a better place to start than here.
2 people found this helpful
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