On Stories

By Richard Kearney

Book Overview

Stories offer us some of the richest and most enduring insights into the human condition and have preoccupied philosophy since Aristotle. On Stories presents in clear and compelling style just why narrative has this power over us and argues that the unnarrated life is not worth living. Drawing on the work of James Joyce, Sigmund Freud's patient 'Dora' and the case of Oscar Schindler, Richard Kearney skilfully illuminates how stories not only entertain us but can determine our lives and personal identities. He also considers nations as stories, including the story of Romulus and Remus in the founding of Rome. Throughout, On Stories stresses that, far from heralding the demise of narrative, the digital era merely opens up new stories.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415247985
• ISBN13: 9780415247986
• Release Date: October 2001
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.2" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Brilliant and profound!

Ocassionally one encounters a thinker who both confirms and challenges every experience and thought long seen as personal and private, suddenly connecting them to a wide world of possibilities. Kearney, in this elegant and concise little book, does exactly this for me. On Stories is both brilliant and profound.