the novel
The novel is a general introduction to narrative theory (narratology), written by the English studies and American studies Christoph Bode , Professor of English Literature at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich . The first edition was published in 2005 by A. Francke Verlag ( UTB ); In 2011, the second, expanded edition (ibid) and the English translation ( The Novel: An Introduction ) were published.
content
The nine thematic chapters are preceded by a foreword ; Bibliography and a detailed bibliography conclude.
Preface
The foreword encourages one to turn away from the purely formal, narrow-minded novel text analysis and instead to repeatedly ask the question “What's the difference?”: What effects would it have had if the narrator had certain people, situations or facts in others Way (perspective, sequence, etc.)? And why did he choose not to do this when he told the story? From this point of view, the analysis leads to how to what - and not the other way around.
Acknowledgments conclude the preface.
Narrative theory and novel analysis
The individual thematic chapters are described here in short summaries, without going into the many specific literature examples in the text of The Roman .
Beginnings - What to Expect?
The chapter introduces the topic. It discusses the “beginning” and “meaning” of a novel, the socio-cultural conventions / rules of the game and the methodology of linking the individual events that can be used in this narrative form, as well as the interactions between these elements. Finally, there is a short discussion about the (desired, successful ...) involvement of the novel reader, the form and type of the very first sentences of a story.
The modern European novel (predecessors, origins, conventions, subspecies)
The historical development of the modern European novel is shown with evidence and examples. The terms “fact” and “fiction” are explained and narrated fiction, illusion and narrated realism are distinguished from one another; the variety of the resulting types of novels is outlined.
Object of every novel analysis: the how of the what ( discourse and story )
The introduction to novel analysis is being prepared. An overview table illustrates the topic-specific terms used by various well-known narratologists ( Gérard Genette , Seymour Chatman , Mieke Bal , Shlomith Rimmon-Kenan , Gerald Prince and Franz Karl Stanzel ). The following chapters then go into the individual aspects in detail.
time
The topics of this chapter are the " narrative time ", i. H. the approximate time it will take the reader to read the novel and the "time it is told"; H. the length of time the novel covers. Their ratio, the "narrative speed" (also narrative speed = narration time ÷ narrated time), can be changed several times by the narrator within a novel and thus used to slow down (here it becomes important, here it remains longer) or acceleration (decrease in meaning).
Furthermore, the “order”, the sequence of narrated events - either natural chronological sequence or anachrony ( prolepse , anticipation; analepse , flashback) - and the “frequency”, i.e. H. the repeated narration of identical or similar events. It concludes with the importance of using different tense forms .
characters
Bode analyzes and documents with examples the figure conception and figure drawing in the novel; “Figure” in the broadest sense means person, protagonist , being.
Germanic rosette or Gallic taxonomy? Determining the narrative situation
In this longest chapter (more than a quarter of the book) Franz K. Stanzel 's type circle (in Bode's words: “Germanic rosette”) and Gérard Genette's narrative theory (“Gallic taxonomy”) are explained, compared and commented on.
Multiple perspectives, unreliability and the fact that the gender aspect cannot be eliminated
The chapter deals with aspects and interpretations of multi-perspective narration and addresses the difficulty of recognizing “unreliable narration”, i. H. "If the reader has justified cause, has a story to distrust" to define objective, and highlights the problem of sex / genders of the story, the narrator, the narrative person.
Now you see it, now you don't : symbolism and space
Here the challenge is addressed, symbolism , i.e. H. “If something strikes you particularly” - that is, symbolism is not necessarily understood as “ symbol ” - for example, allegories , metaphors , metonymies , to recognize and “decode” and to wonder why the narrator made this particular choice of representation.
“Space” refers to “semantized spaces”, i. H. Locations described in the plot (nature, cities, spaces, etc.) are included, which not only stand for what is commonly understood by them, but which the narrator also creates parallel to the character (see above) or to the character's situation.
The end of the novel and the future of the illusion
In the last chapter, Bode examines forms of the presence or absence of experience (s) on the story of the narrator, the orientations and attempts to create meaning in novels and finally the future of the novel in the context of increasing competition from visual media (as opposed to print media ) such as TV , Cinema films ( VHS , DVD ) and audiovisual offers on the Internet.
Appendix (literature)
The basic library of novel analysis: Recommended titles contains 16 referenced and commented by Bode book titles on topics of narrative theory / narratology, perspective structure , narrative text analysis and novel theory.
The bibliography contains almost 400 references on 30 pages.
reception
“Appropriately broad in the choice of his illustrative texts, Bode offers us tools to understand how the narrative techniques of novels influence their content. While the thematic arrangement of the book facilitates selective reading, the lively and accessible style beautifully preserved in this translation rewards sequential reading. "
"In addition, Bode's clarifications of concepts, jargon, and theories, as well as his convincing emphasis on" ways of creating and interpreting meaning "(page 256) will bring the reader back to this complex and meaningful introduction."
"With the challenging question" What to expect? " Christoph Bode sets the tone for this delightful guide to the experience of reading a novel. From the beginnings of the European novel to the narrative art of the 21st century, with examples from English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Scandinavian literature, and with elaboration of European and Anglo-American narratological theories, this well-informed book remains in excellently accessible thanks to its focus on fundamental questions: How do stories begin - and why? Why does fiction create [its own] reality? How does a narrative manipulate time? Who is speaking - and can we believe him or her? What is a symbol and why is it important? And above all: What is the difference between telling a story [exactly] in one way or another? In a refreshingly lively style, Bodes Der Novel teaches students and readers how to ask meaningful questions about the decisions authors make their choices and how to make sense of the answers. "
Book references
German editions
- Christoph Bode: Der Roman , A. Francke Verlag (UTB 2580; Tübingen and Basel), 1st edition (2005), 349 pages, ISBN 3-7720-3366-0 and ISBN 3-8252-2580-1 .
- Ibid, 2nd exp. Edition (2011), ISBN 978-3825225803 .
English version
- Christoph Bode: The Novel: An Introduction , Wiley-Blackwell, 1st edition (2011), 312 pages, ISBN 978-1405194471 .
See also
Individual evidence and explanations
- ↑ The novel , a detailed review by Melina Gehring ( Memento of the original from September 28, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , can be found on the website of the Justus Liebig University Giessen ; accessed on August 22, 2016.
- ↑ Appealingly wide-ranging in his choice of illustrative texts, Bode offers us tools for understanding how the narrative techniques of novels affect their content. While the book's topical arrangement facilitates selective reading, its lively and accessible style, nicely preserved in this translation, amply rewards sequential reading.
- ↑ Moreover, Bode's clarifications of concepts, jargon and theories, as well as his persuasive emphasis on the 'possibilities of the generation and construction of meaning' (p. 256), will make the reader return to this multi-layered and meaningful introduction.
- ↑ Oana Sinziana Paltineanu: Book review - The Novel: An Introduction , European Review of History: Revue européenne d'histoire, pp. 487-489, July 6, 2012.
- ↑ With the provocative question "What do you expect?" Christoph Bode sets the tone for this delightful guide to the experience of novel reading. Ranging from the beginnings of the European novel to twenty-first-century fiction, drawing examples from English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, and Scandinavian literature, and explicating European and Anglo-American narratological theories, this erudite book remains eminently accessible thanks to its focus on fundamental questions: How do stories begin - and why? Why does fiction evoke reality? How does a narrative manipulate time? Who speaks - and can we believe him or her? What is a symbol and why does it matter? Above all: what's the difference between one way of telling a story and another? In a refreshingly lively style, Bode's The Novel shows students and readers how to ask meaningful questions about the choices that authors make and how to make sense out of the answers.
