Abstract:
This article provides a summary of a book that lays the foundation for a stylistical and rhetorical approach of narratology whose aim is to describe with the greatest possible precision the mechanism of immersive and intriguing literary narratives. Noting the existence of a strong polysemy around the notion of plot, I propose to start with a functionalist definition capable to emphasize the close relationship between narrative dynamics and emplotment, which builds, maintain, and resolve tension in the aesthetic experience. I also mention how the characterization of characters and the mutability of their roles can determine in an essential way the profile of narrative tension.
Keywords:
Plot; Narrative tension; Character; Narratology; Rhetorics; Stylistics