Nach dem ‚narrative turn‘. Handbücher und Lexika des 21. Jahrhunderts

Abstract

Recent years have seen the appearance of numerous lexica and handbooks de-voted to general narratological questions which collect contributions from dif-ferent disciplines. What are the strengths and weaknesses of these books (each of which is aimed at a large readership)? What kind of knowledge is provided, and what understanding of narratology is codified, in these works? This contri-bution approaches these questions in the form of an overview, and arrives at the following conclusion: If narratology is to become a truly transdisciplinary pro-ject, genuine theoretical and methodological exchange between neighboring dis-ciplines needs to be intensified. After the period of expansion in research fields and the current phase of consolidation (as documented in such handbooks and lexica), a closer focus on transdisciplinary collaboration would mark a new step in the development of narratological research.