Thursday, September 6, 2007

Such Stuff as Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction [Paperback]

Rating: (1 reviews)
Author: Keith Oatley
ISBN : 9780470974575
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Such Stuff as Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction explores how fiction works in the brains and imagination of both readers and writers.
  • Demonstrates how reading fiction can contribute to a greater understanding of, and the ability to change, ourselves
  • Informed by the latest psychological research which focuses on, for example, how identification with fictional characters occurs, and how literature can improve social abilities
  • Explores traditional aspects of fiction, including character, plot, setting, and theme, as well as a number of classic techniques, such as metaphor, metonymy, defamiliarization, and cues
  • Includes extensive end-notes, which ground the work in psychological studies
  • Features excerpts from fiction which are discussed throughout the text, including works by William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Kate Chopin, Anton Chekhov, James Baldwin, and others
  • Paperback: 290 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (July 25, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0470974575
  • ISBN-13: 978-0470974575
  • Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 6.1 x 8.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Such Stuff as Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction

Preface.


Acknowledgments.


1 Fiction as dream: Models, world-building, simulation.


2 The space-in-between: Childhood play as the entrance to fiction.


3 Creativity: Imagined worlds.


4 Character, action, incident: Mental models of people and their doings.


5 Emotions: Scenes in the imagination.


6 Writing fiction: Cues for the reader.


7 Effects of fiction: Is fiction good for you?


8 Talking about fiction: Interpretation in conversation.


Endnotes.


Bibliography.


Name Index.


Subject Index.

This is an interesting book about how reading fiction affects our minds, our personalities and our lives. It explains how reading fiction or watching it in the form of films grows naturally out of children's imaginative play and relates closely to dreams. People read fiction for enjoyment but they also read fiction to help them make sense of the world around them and of their personal relationships.

Drawing on the latest psychological research, the author looks at how fiction can change our personalities and reports that contrary to popular opinion those who read fiction are not loners with no friends or family. In fact it is those who read non-fiction who are more likely to fall into this category. I found it fascinating that reading a story can affect your personality to a measurable extent and that those who read fiction usually have better social skills and are better at relating to others. Whether that is cause and effect is not clear though the fact that reading a story can affect the reader's personality makes it seem that reading fiction can give you better interpersonal skills.

The book covers the rapid growth of book clubs throughout the civilised world, both online and face to face. Talking about books read can increase our own understanding of them and also our enjoyment. Book clubs, the author suggests, are as important as departments of literature at universities.
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