The Analogical Reader: A Cognitive Approach to Literary Perspective Taking

Perspective taking is a critical component of approaches to literature and narrative, but there is no coherent, broadly applicable, and process-based account of what it is and how it occurs. This book provides a multidisciplinary coverage of the topic, weaving together key insights from different disciplines into a comprehensive theory of perspective taking in literature and in life. The essential insight is that taking a perspective requires constructing an analogy between one's own personal knowledge and experience and that of the perspective taking target. This analysis is used to reassess a broad swath of research in mind reading and literary studies. It develops the dynamics of how analogy is used in perspective taking and the challenges that must be overcome under some circumstances. New empirical evidence is provided in support of the theory, and numerous examples from popular and literary fiction are used to illustrate the concepts. This title is part of the Flip it Open programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

Peter Dixon is Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has authored or co-authored over 100 articles and chapters on topics such as attention, problem solving, motor control, word and discourse processing. He has worked collaboratively with Marisa Bortolussi on the empirical study of literature.

Marisa Bortolussi is Professor Emerita at the University of Alberta, Canada. She has taught in French, Spanish, and Comparative Literature. Her first publications were on Hispanic literature, including a book on children's literature. With Peter Dixon she co-authored Psychonarratology (2002) and numerous articles on the empirical study of literature.