Why We Read Fiction offers a lucid overview of the most exciting area of
research in contemporary cognitive psychology known as Theory of Mind and
discusses its implications for literary studies. It covers a broad range of
fictional narratives, from Richardson s Clarissa, Dostoyevski's Crime and
Punishment, and Austen s Pride and Prejudice to Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway,
Nabokov's Lolita, and Hammett s The Maltese Falcon. Zunshine's surprising
new interpretations of well-known literary texts and popular cultural
representations constantly prod her readers to rethink their own interest
in fictional narrative. Written for a general audience, this study provides
a jargon-free introduction to the rapidly growing interdisciplinary field
known as cognitive approaches to literature and culture.