Narrative Retellings: Stylistic Approaches

Presenting pioneering work at the intersection of stylistics and narrative study, this volume provides a more considered understanding of narratives and the many ways in which they are retold in literary and non-literary texts.
Taking an empirical stylistic approach, chapters analyse the process of retelling across a rich variety of genres, mediums and contexts, including literary classics, contemporary horror, personal traumatic experience, news stories and cosmetic advertising. Common types of retelling, such as translation, adaptation and textual interpretation in reading groups, are reconceptualised in the chapters, and fresh insights are offered into experiences retold as autofiction, witness statements and advertorials on social media. From modernising the most cherished novels of Jane Austen to deciphering conflicting testimonials following the Hillsborough disaster, this volume is broad in scope and reveals the complexities involved in all forms of narrative retellings. As such, it makes a valuable contribution to the interdisciplinary study of stylistics and to the understanding of narrative texts.