Ways of Reading Third Edition - Martin Montgomery, Alan Durant, Nigel Fabb, Tom Furniss, Sara Mills 2007

21.1 ’Story’ and ‘narration’
Unit 21 Narrative point of view
Section 5 Narrative

In most theories of narrative two main dimensions or levels are identified. The first consists of the basic events or actions, in the chronological order in which they are supposed to have happened, together with the circumstances in which the actions are performed. This level is sometimes referred to as the ’story’. The second level includes the techniques and devices used for telling the story to the reader. This latter level is sometimes referred to as ’discourse’ (see Unit 20, Narrative) but also as ’narration’. In effect, these two levels may be seen as corresponding to the distinction between the tale itself and the manner in which it is told - a distinction that is based upon our intuitive recognition that the same tale can be told in different ways.