Narrative structure of the gamebook as a hypernarrative

Abstract

The article describes the research of the narrative structure of gamebooks as an example of hypertext fiction. The aim of the research is to analyse the storyline of Raymond Queneau’s gamebook “A Story of Your Own” as a literary hypertext narrative, to define the peculiarities of its structural organization and to come up with a narrative scheme of the gamebook. The methodology of the research is based on the narrative analysis predicated by the invariant narrative scheme offered by William Labov and Joshua Waletzky. The research novelty lies in the fact that for the first time a narrative analysis of a book-game is carried out taking into account its narrative and hypertext characteristics and the hypernarrative structure of a bookgame is described and presented in the form of a scheme. The article dwells on the notions of the narrative, its prototype form and hypertext narrative as being a combination of hypertext and narrative. The author also defines the conception of the hypertext gamebook, follows its evolution. As a result of the analysis of Raymond Queneau’s minimalistic gamebook, the author identifies following isomorphic characteristics of a gamebook: nonlinearity and variation of the plot structure, fragmentarity and interactivity (the dialogue between the author, the reader and the text). The gamebook narrative structure utilizes all the narrative components (Abstract, Orientation, Complicating Action, Evaluation, Resolution, Coda), but there are some deviations from the scheme of the prototype linear narrative such as the combination of all narrative components in one, the substantial repetition of a component, the implementation of a component in a different textone, elimination, the presence of narrative polycomponents and their discontinuity, the implementation of a new component of Evaluation by the reader. All these deviations fulfil their definite functions inherent in the game-book. The gamebook structural abnormities are explained by the hypertext strategy of the narration and by interactivity. They create a new fiction space with numerous textual branches, make it possible to expand and to restrict the framework of the narration, boost the narrative dynamics and encourage readers’ activity. As a result of the research, the gamebook narrative scheme has been devised and described. This scheme includes potential authorial variations and it can be applied as the basis for the analysis of all kinds of hypertext narratives.