Narrative, the way a tale is told, is less straightforward than we might suppose. http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/jane-austen-persuasion-irony-and-the-mysterious-vagaries-of-narratives
Austen handles irony brilliantly and systematically exploited new ways of narrating, including free indirect discourse.
This lecture explores why Austen's way of narrating are so compelling.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/jane-austen-persuasion-irony-and-the-mysterious-vagaries-of-narratives
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