Story and Discourse

This book is the first comprehensive approach in english to a general theory of narrative, both in verbal and in visual media. the primary question to which professor chatman addresses himself is what narrative is in itself. following such french structuralists as roland barthes, tzvetan todorov, and gerard genette, he posits a what and a way. "the what of narrative," he says, "i call its 'story'; the way, i call its 'discourse.'" liberally illustrating his concepts with discussions of particular novels and films, he effects a synthesis of the latest continental critical thinking about narrative and the anglo-american tradition exemplified by henry james, percy lubbock, wayne booth, and others. a judicious and well-informed book, story and discourse should become a standard guide to narrative and to modern thinking about narrative. review "an important american contribution to the study of narrative theory." ―choice"what i appreciate most in chatman's study are the problem-solving activities and ambitions: again and again, he proves capable of defining areas to investigate (the borders between narrative and other temporal genres, for example, the typography of plots, the distinctive features of foregrounding and backgrounding) and of discussing narrative in terms of problems and solutions. when i opened the chatman volume, i read the blurb first: 'a judicious and well-informed book, story and discourse should become the standard guide to narrative and to modern thinking about narrative.the blurb is right." -gerald prince ―mln from the back cover narrative structure in fiction and film. 'for the specialist in the study of narrative structure, this is a solid and very perceptive exploration of the issues salient to the telling of a story-whatever the medium. chatman, whose approach here is at once dualist and structuralist, divides his subject into the 'whatof the narrative (story) and the 'way'(discourse)... chatman's command of his material is impressive.seymour chatman is professor of rhetoric at the university of california, berkeley.