This book introduces 'performed' oral storytelling into the debate, using data from traditional and contemporary storytellers in French to explore the narrative tenses, the discourse-pragmatic effects of tense switching, as well as broader questions concerning the nature of oral discourse.
Storytelling is a universal human activity and oral narration has long been fertile ground for linguists working on tense usage across a variety of languages. Fascinating parallels have been drawn between the patterns in 'conversational' narration (such as anecdotes or personal stories) and in medieval narratives. This book introduces oral storytelling into the debate, using data from traditional and contemporary storytellers in French. 141p (Legenda Research Monographs in French Studies, Legenda 2005)
