The paradox of suspense

by: Juan A Prieto-Pablos

Poetics, Vol. 26, No. 2. (November 1998), pp. 99-113.

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Abstract

The conditions of suspenseful re-reading have always been a controversial topic of discussion. In two very recent essays, suspenseful re-reading has been described as a paradox. The object of this paper is to revise current definitions of suspense and describe the various levels of emotional response it can elicit: emotions or feelings caused by uncertainty, by the readers' construction of resolution hypotheses and their various degrees of certainty, by their ideological involvement with textual values, by their expectations of gratification and relief. Then, it goes on to explain how each of these responses operates under different conditions of re-reading. All this may help, not to solve the paradox of suspense, but to clarify the terms upon which the debate has been based until now.

@article{citeulike:2588062, abstract = {The conditions of suspenseful re-reading have always been a controversial topic of discussion. In two very recent essays, suspenseful re-reading has been described as a paradox. The object of this paper is to revise current definitions of suspense and describe the various levels of emotional response it can elicit: emotions or feelings caused by uncertainty, by the readers' construction of resolution hypotheses and their various degrees of certainty, by their ideological involvement with textual values, by their expectations of gratification and relief. Then, it goes on to explain how each of these responses operates under different conditions of re-reading. All this may help, not to solve the paradox of suspense, but to clarify the terms upon which the debate has been based until now.}, author = {Prieto-Pablos, Juan A. }, citeulike-article-id = {2588062}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0304-422X(98)00014-X}, journal = {Poetics}, keywords = {cognitive\_film\_theory}, month = {November}, number = {2}, pages = {99--113}, posted-at = {2008-03-26 01:23:34}, priority = {2}, title = {The paradox of suspense}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0304-422X(98)00014-X}, volume = {26}, year = {1998} }

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TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:2588062 L3 - citeulike-article-id:2588062 TI - The paradox of suspense JF - Poetics VL - 26 IS - 2 SP - 99 EP - 113 N2 - The conditions of suspenseful re-reading have always been a controversial topic of discussion. In two very recent essays, suspenseful re-reading has been described as a paradox. The object of this paper is to revise current definitions of suspense and describe the various levels of emotional response it can elicit: emotions or feelings caused by uncertainty, by the readers' construction of resolution hypotheses and their various degrees of certainty, by their ideological involvement with textual values, by their expectations of gratification and relief. Then, it goes on to explain how each of these responses operates under different conditions of re-reading. All this may help, not to solve the paradox of suspense, but to clarify the terms upon which the debate has been based until now. KW - cognitive_film_theory AU - Prieto-Pablos, Juan PY - 1998/11// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0304-422X(98)00014-X ER -

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