In this Book
The Ohio State University Press

- Why We Read Fiction: Theory of Mind and the Novel
- 2006
- Book
- Published by: The Ohio State University Press
- Series: Theory and Interpretation of Narrative

summary
Why We Read Fiction offers a lucid overview of the most exciting area of research in contemporary cognitive psychology known as “Theory of Mind” and discusses its implications for literary studies. It covers a broad range of fictional narratives, from Richardson’s Clarissa, Dostoyevski’s Crime and Punishment, and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice to Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Nabokov’s Lolita, and Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon. Zunshine’s surprising new interpretations of well-known literary texts and popular cultural representations constantly prod her readers to rethink their own interest in fictional narrative. Written for a general audience, this study provides a jargon-free introduction to the rapidly growing interdisciplinary field known as cognitive approaches to literature and culture.
Table of Contents
- List of Illustrations
- pp. vii-viii
- Acknowledgments
- pp. ix-x
- PART I. Attributing Minds
- Why Did Peter Walsh Tremble?
- pp. 3-6
- “Effortless” Mind-Reading
- pp. 13-16
- Why Do We Read Fiction?
- pp. 16-22
- The Novel as a Cognitive Experiment
- pp. 22-27
- PART II. Tracking Minds
- Whose Thought Is It, Anyway?
- pp. 47-54
- Monitoring Fictional States of Mind
- pp. 60-65
- “Fiction” and “History”
- pp. 65-73
- Tracking Minds in Beowulf
- pp. 73-75
- Don Quixote and His Progeny
- pp. 75-77
- PART III. Concealing Minds
- Authors meet Their Readers
- pp. 159-162
- Bibliography
- pp. 181-192
- Other Titles in the Series
- pp. 199-200
Additional Information
ISBN
9780814272633
Related ISBN(s)
9780814251515
MARC Record
OCLC
971252586
Pages
200
Launched on MUSE
2021-01-13
Language
English
Open Access
Yes