This encyclopedia investigates the core question of how narrative functions as a fundamental human strategy for processing time, change, and experience across diverse disciplinary fields. Edited by David Herman, Manfred Jahn, and Marie-Laure Ryan, the text synthesizes decades of interdisciplinary research to provide a unified framework for understanding storytelling. It serves as a comprehensive reference tool for scholars and students navigating the complex intersection of linguistics, psychology, and literary studies.

Experts and academics widely recognize this volume as a foundational reference text for the study of narratology. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored specifically for researchers and advanced students in the humanities.