A Novel's Structure as a Complex System

The purpose of this paper is to present the complex structure of the book "The movie of emotions". This structure is not organized into chapters and is characterized by several beginnings and conclusions, is branched, fractalic, duplicated, modular and specialized. If one wants to define a specific novel as a complex system, then that novel has obviously to be not only complex but also "interesting" for readers. "The movie of emotions" is a very experimental novel that can be defined both complex and interesting. It can be defined as complex because its structure reproduces some properties of complex systems, and because the amount of information necessary to describe its multiple levels of structure organization is big and has to do with different literary styles and registers. It can be defined as interesting on the basis of reviews. The book is a "structural science-in-fiction novel", a new literary genre in which novel's structure communicates scientific information. By reading this novel, readers follow the main character's attempts to write a scientific paper on emotions, then the script of a movie, and to eventually turn the latter into a novel. They learn implicit and explicit knowledge about psychology and neuro-psychology of emotions, cognitive science and theory of complex systems.

Publication type: 
Articolo
Author or Creator: 
Calabretta Raffaele
Source: 
The International Journal of Creativity & Problem Solving 23 (2013): 113–120.
info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Calabretta Raffaele/titolo:A Novel's Structure as a Complex System/doi:/rivista:The International Journal of Creativity & Problem Solving/anno:2013/pagina_da:113/pagina_a:120/intervallo_pagine:113–120/volume:23
Date: 
2013
Resource Identifier: 
http://www.cnr.it/prodotto/i/296285
Language: 
Eng
ISTC Author: 
Raffaele Calabretta's picture