Since its first publication in English in 1985 Mieke Bal's Narratology has become the international classic & comprehensive introduction to the theory of narrative texts Narratology is a systematic account of narrative techniques methods their transmission & reception in which Bal distills years of study of the ways in which we understand both literary & non-literary works In this third edition Bal updates the book to include more analysis of film narratives while also sharpening & tightening her language to make it the most readable & student-friendly edition to date Bal also introduces new sections that treat & clarify several modernist texts that pose narratological challenges With changes prompted by ten years of feedback from scholars & teachers Narratology remains the most important contribution to the study of the way narratives work are formed & are received