Rick Altman (1)

This is an excellent introduction to narratology and the study of narrative. In Chapter One, Altman offers a clear overview of "The Traditional Understanding of Narrative" and his suggestions for "A New Approach to Narrative Analysis."

Chapter Two is a tour-de-force study of The Song of Roland, a medieval Anglo-Saxon epic (which in my opinion shows clear evidence of influencing Tolkien). I reread this chapter recently because I read The Song of Roland for the first time. Altman's ideas about "following patterns," "symmetry," "integration," and "polarity adjustment" are insightful and beautifully expressed.

Altman's greatest strength in my opinion is that he brings the reader up to an understanding quickly, and does not obfuscate (bewilder, confuse, or stupefy) while making his case for his theories.… (mehr)