Asking how what an individual knows shapes the ways in which he or she reads, this book starts from the premise that any productive theory of narrative must take into account the presuppositions the reader brings to the text. The book explores how prior knowledge of literary conventions influences the processes of interpretation and evaluation. It offers a valuable and coherent framework for approaching the study of narrative. Chapters in the book are: (1) "Starting Points"; (2) "Trumpets, Please!: Rules of Notice"; (3) "The Biggest Black Eyes I Ever Saw: Rules of Signification Defined"; (4) "The Black Cloud on the Horizon: Rules of Configuration"; (5) "The Austere Simplicity of Fiction: Rules of Coherence"; (6) "Through 'The Glass Key' Darkly: Presupposition and Misunderstanding"; and (7) "Some Have Greatness Thrust upon Them: The Politics of Canon Formation." Contains a selected bibliography, (NKA)