The Undernarrated and the Overnarrated

Narratologists have not paid much systematic attention to the undernarrated and the overnarrated, which have several different acceptations. In particular, undernarrated can mean “not narrated in sufficient detail” and overnarrated can mean “narrated in an overly detailed manner.” The article focuses on the latter acceptations because they are quite pertinent for narratological analysis. Using examples from Marcel Proust, Annie Ernaux, and Kamel Daoud, it explores the ways in which undernarration and overnarration can be signaled, their affinities with other narrative features (e.g., speed or focalization), their possible function, and their link with the very nature of narrative.