Providing an up-to-date and accessible overview of the essentials of narrative theory, Narrative: The Basics guides the reader through the major approaches to the study of narrative, using contemporary examples from a wide range of narrative forms to answer key questions including: What is narrative? What are the "universals" of narrative? What is the relationship between narrative and ideology? Does the reader have a role in narrative? Has the digital age brought radically new forms of narrative? Each chapter introduces key theoretical terms, providing thinking points and suggestions for further study. With an emphasis on applying theory to example studies, it is an ideal introduction to the current study of narrative.