'When one reads Danow's work one grows eager to (re)read the works he examines. Not only is his scholarship vast, his management of it is brilliant. Developing a theory of modeling, he develops a theory of knowing - an epistemology - that has implications for any intellectual endeavor. His investigation of this important area of the humanities, moreover, is not removed from the life of humanity, as is often the case with 'scholarly' works. The linkage between the interest in literature and the interest in life is implicit ...
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'When one reads Danow's work one grows eager to (re)read the works he examines. Not only is his scholarship vast, his management of it is brilliant. Developing a theory of modeling, he develops a theory of knowing - an epistemology - that has implications for any intellectual endeavor. His investigation of this important area of the humanities, moreover, is not removed from the life of humanity, as is often the case with 'scholarly' works. The linkage between the interest in literature and the interest in life is implicit throughout his book and at times is quite explicit. Danow teaches us not only how to better understand literature but how to better understand what is at stake in the study of it.' - David Patterson, Distinguished Professor of Russian Literature, University of Memphis The role of models in works of literature has been largely overlooked by literary scholars. Models of Narrative undertakes to focus on this often central role. In analyzing the concept and practice of literary modeling, Danow leads the reader on a search for order, patterns, and familiar concepts in literary works. Addressing a wide array of literary works by such luminaries as Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Garcia Marquez, and Hawthorne, Danow examines these works in terms of 'narrative universals' such as time, space, and speech. In addition, he distinguishes between theory and practice, treating the notion of literal and figural relations and offering concrete literary criticism.
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