Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life [Paperback]

Jerome Bruner (Author)

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Product Details

Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Harvard University Press; 1 edition (April 30 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 067401099X
ISBN-13: 978-0674010994
Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 13.7 x 1.3 cm
Shipping Weight: 227 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #170,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Scientific discoveries regarding the functions of the brain have led some to question whether it might eventually be possible to substitute technical explanations for the stories and narratives that have traditionally been used to understand experience. Contrary to that view, and to the opinions he expressed in his 1962 book On Knowing, psychologist Bruner argues here that storytelling has an essential importance that cannot be replaced by science. While his conclusion may be valid, Bruner only weakly attempts to support his new point of view in this brief but rambling and disjointed essay. Beginning with a meandering discussion of the practical value of story through numerous literary references from Aristotle to Proust, Bruner offers a portrait of the historical function of narrative that speaks to the basic similarity of literature and science, i.e., that through the depiction of imagined worlds, stories like scientific hypotheses help people adapt to unexpected events. Bruner then considers the place of narrative in law and the "construction" of the self, ultimately suggesting that stories cannot be replaced by scientific explanation because stories are essential to our capacity to truly understand one another. Bruner cites the evidence that physicians who fail to listen to their patients' stories often fail to provide the correct treatment, despite knowing all the relevant medical facts. Regrettably, Bruner does not explain why this is the case i.e., why physicians cannot simply ignore their patients' narratives. Written for a general audience, this book takes on an inherently interesting subject, but lacks the care and focus its treatment requires.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

The best books have the capacity to change lives, sometimes by the sheer force of ideas communicated with felicity and grace. Bruner's short, compelling work Making Stories is just such a book. Bruner [makes] sharply visible what otherwise could be only indistinctly felt. He trains his searchlight on the complex and diverse uses not only of the conventional, easily recognized stories of myth and literature, but also of obscure stories, those found...buried within our culture, our institutions and ourselves. (Los Angeles Times Book Review )

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Amazon.com: 4.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Look at how Narratives affect our Lives, Jun 7 2006

By Christopher J. Sugar - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life (Paperback)

As a student interested in narratology, I found Jerome Bruner's book an excellent manual on how narratives effect our everyday lives. With the minimal a minimal amount of jargon, Bruner was able to convey what narrative was; how narrative is used; and how we interpret narrative in the stories we tell and the stories we read. This book is a must have for anyone interested in narratology or for any person seeking for a concise and clear understanding of how narratives work in our lives.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Narrative Art of Self-Making, Feb 21 2011

By Jason Kae-Smith "Clinical Sexologist" - Published on Amazon.com

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This review is from: Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life (Paperback)

This is a gem that has quickly become one of my favorite Jerome Bruner books, a brief yet succulently satisfying account of how we use stories to make sense of our lives. As a narrative therapist, I find it affirming of many of the understandings of human social processes that have become invaluable in my work, particularly the notion that through narrative we sort of make ourselves up as we go along. As Bruner observes, "we constantly construct and reconstruct our selves to meet the needs of the situations we encounter," doing so "with the guidance of our memories of the past and our hopes...for the future." To me, our ability to make stories about ourselves (creating a "selfhood" along the way) is both invigorating and inspiring, as is this elegant little book that studies, honors and celebrates such a capacity. Well done Mr. Bruner!

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Short but deadly, July 12 2009

By Sparky "leadership student" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life (Paperback)

Writing is pedantic and the author seems to have to stretch to make the connection between narrative, law, and everyday life. I have a fairly large vocabulary, but the author sent me to the dictionary several times... The passages on narratives as a function of self-making and culture do not break any new ground, and there are probably other books that can more fully explore the importance of story-telling. Perhaps a good selection for lawyers or others who do not have a strong understanding of the functions of narrative.

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