Without the pretension of discuss the extensive traditon of stylistics, Michael Toolan's Language in literature provides the reader with a fine introduction to many topics on this subject: patterns of texture and representation, modality and evaluation, the structure of simple narratives, the recording of character speech and thought, the dinamics of dialogue, pressupposition and textual revision . The book might be useful for short undergraduate courses in Stylistics or even for self study. Activities and commentaries lead the reader to discover how language always creates special effects. He also will learn some linguistic terms necessary for the aplication of grammar in literary study as well as discover a new way of studying the language. Teachers will find a good selection of texts (literary and non literary) with a few linguistic comentaries that might be helpful to give some ideas to work in classroom.

stylistics analysis of business register (features that characterized this register within linguistic context.)

I had the privilege of attending a one year seminar on Narrative Analysis by Professor Michael Toolan, and compared with that lively and exciting experience, the book he wrote more than ten years before seems to lack something. It seems a bit on the dry side, but that's besides the point: You are probably not going to pick up a linguistic introduction to narrative for entertainment anyway.

The book covers basic story structure (in search of a grammar of plot), time (order, duration, summary and scene - i.e. telling and showing, frequency), character, setting, focalization, free indirect discourse, sociolinguistics and more. You have to keep in mind that the approach here is linguistic.

The book does not specifically deal with film narratives - if you want to focus on that, I recommend reading Seymour Chatman's "Story and Discourse" or Bordwell and Thompson's "Film Art: An Introduction". However, even then, you might find the concepts summarized in this book helpful.

On the whole, this is a very useful introduction, though it may be tough going in places. Other books you may find useful are "Narratology - an introduction" and "Narrative Fiction".

Toolan gives us a complete theoretical toolbox that, indeed, contains some sharp tools with which to analyze literary narratives. It's a good introduction, and as is mentioned early on, it's both linguistic and critical. The critical aspect is the book's strength: the author neatly summarizes past research (ranging quite broadly) and argues within the linguistic field in order to set up his own complex position on each aspect of narratology. The reader leaves with a sense of depth and sophistication - Genette, Bal, Halliday are all given due treatment. In particular, the treatment of Genette is so skillfully done that readers of the French critic may well find themselves reaching, instead, for Toolan in the future.