Narrative style

[carolynwhite2]

--- In HPFGU-Catalogue at yahoogroups.com, Barry Arrowsmith 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote (a few days ago):

So far the posts aren't so much about narrative style as such - more
general critiques, recapping, plot holes, resolution devices etc. and
comments on reviews of the books in newspapers, mags and the like.

<snip>

(& noted in passing that):
I note with distress that to mark the near-anniversary of that 
fateful day of a year ago you have chosen to characterise Kneasy's 
alter ego as a miserable old bugger, a curmudgeon, a grumpy old fart 
who has a problem for every solution.

(Now, true to form):
> A grumpy Kneasy stomps into the office.
> He's been growing progressively pissed off reviewing 'Narrative 
style' and growing ever more convinced that there is no such thing 
*in isolation*. And if it  can't exist on its own merits why have it 
as a separate category? Why not let all the associated categories 
(see below) discuss aspects of 'Narrative style' as it refers to 
their more specific analysis? 'Cos there's damn few posts under this 
heading that isn't also coded under something more relevant.
> 
<snip list of better headings>
> 
> T'aint real. And if it ain't real why have it?
> 
> Kneasy strongly suspects that it's one of these arty-farty 
litcritter  phrases that means bugger all. And he's looked at 319 
posts to back his contention.

Carolyn:

Um...narrative style is really just about the way a story is told. It 
can be on various levels:
- who is telling the story (first person, second person, third 
person) and if it shifts about, what that means (if anything)
- the dialogue style and it's appropriateness to the character 
- the plot structure conventions 'demanded' by different forms of 
narrative type (novel genres, epics, tragedies, comedies, satires, 
poems etc)
- how the interaction of plot structure and narrative voice/style 
creates written effects; what works and what doesn't

It isn't about grammar, spelling or punctuation - or only in the 
sense of whether they are being used deliberately (or unconsciously) 
by an author, to create a certain effect. (NB that brilliant book I 
read at Xmas 'Ella Minnow Pea', which gradually stopped using letters 
out of the alphabet, to literally convey what censorship does to 
people's ability to think).

Since few people contributing to this board are lit academics, I am 
not surprised there is a mish mash to deal with in this section, and 
few posts purely on this kind of analysis, even if we wanted them. 
What to do?

By all means send them in the direction of the topics you've listed. 
Will this include the acronyms sitting in this section (REST, 
UNNECESSARY, GARBAGE SCOW, TOUCHE) ? If you look them up, they are 
all essentially about whether JKR's narrative style is any good. I've 
a hunch there are some posts associated with them which possibly 
justify a section for themselves, maybe not. 

Talisman - was there much under the lit crit head you just sorted out 
that could really belong under narrative style ? And what think you 
of merging narrative style (if there is anything left of it after 
Barry's finished), with eg plot development? It's not really the same 
thing..........just concerned we will get brickbats from some people 
who specialise in the area (thinks of justcarol67...).

Carolyn