Author or Narrator in Classical Antiquity?: A Historical Study of the Literary Speaking Voice

This volume explores the conceptual distinction between author and narrator in classical literature, arguing that ancient narrative is better understood through the lens of authorship rather than narratology. It offers the first comprehensive historical analysis of this issue across Graeco-Roman texts. This book challenges the modern assumption that we must always distinguish between a real author and a fictional 'narrator'. By looking back at ancient Greece and Rome, it argues that authors were seen as the direct speaking voice of their work, even when playing characters. The study explores how ancient practices like reading aloud and public performance kept the author's presence at the center of the story. From the 'jokes' of Catullus to the philosophy of Plato, the book provides a fresh way to understand how stories were told and why the authorial voice still matters for understanding literature today.

Pagina's: 240, Hardcover, Oxford University Press