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A slice of life story is a story which has no real plot. Often it has no exposition, no action, no conflict, and no denouement, but an open ending. It usually tries to depict the every-day life of ordinary people. The term slice of life is actually a (more or less) dead metaphor: it often seems as if the author had taken a knife and cut out a slice of the lives of some characters, apparently not bothering at all where the cuts were made. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Look up plot in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Denouement, in literature, is the end part of a story after the climax. ... A dead metaphor is a metaphor that through overuse has lost figurative value. ...

It has also been defined as an "episode of actual experience represented realistically and with little alteration in a dramatic, fictional, or journalistic work." (cp. Answers.com).

See also Vignette (literature) and happy ending. In theatre and script writing, vignettes are short, impressionistic scenes that focus on one moment or give one impression about a character, an idea or a setting. ... For the slang meaning of happy ending, see here. ...

Examples

• James Joyce, Dubliners (short story collection)
• Jack London, The Sun-Dog Trail (short story)
• Kiyohiko Azuma, Azumanga Daioh (comic series, animated series)
• Chris de Burgh, The Traveller (pop song)
• Walter de la Mare, The Listeners (poem)
• Jim Jarmusch, Night on Earth (movie)
• Suzanne Vega, Tom's Diner (pop song)
• Hitoshi Ashinano, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō (comic series)

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an expatriate Irish writer and poet, widely considered to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. ... Dubliners audio book cover Dubliners is a collection of short stories by James Joyce, published in 1914. ... Photograph of Jack London. ... Pen name Kiyohiko Azuma (あずまきよひこ Azuma Kiyohiko), real name Kiyohiko Higashi (東清彦 Higashi Kiyohiko), born May 27, 1968, is a manga artist. ... Azumanga Daioh ) is a manga by Kiyohiko Azuma that was adapted into an anime in 2002. ... The Beautiful Dreams album cover. ... Walter John de la Mare, OM (April 25, 1873 - June 22, 1956), was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist, probably best remembered (though not necessarily justly so) for his works for children. ... The Listeners is a poem written in 1912 by Walter de la Mare, a famous British poet of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... Jim Jarmusch Jim Jarmusch (born January 22, 1953 in Akron, Ohio, USA) is a noted film director. ... Night on Earth is a movie from 1991 directed by Jim Jarmusch. ... Suzanne Vega Suzanne Nadine Vega (born July 11, 1959) is an American songwriter and singer known for her poetic lyrics and eclectic folk-inspired music. ... The real Toms Restaurant also appeared in Seinfeld. ... Hitoshi Ashinano (芦奈野ひとし Ashinano Hitoshi) is the author of the manga Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (ヨコハマ買い出し紀行), a long running manga in Kodanshas monthly anthology Afternoon. ... Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō (ヨコハマ買い出し紀行) is a Japanese manga series. ...

Weblinks: Texts

• "The Listeners" by Walter de la Mare (complete text of the poem)
• "The Traveller" by Chris de Burgh (song lyrics)
• "The Sun-Dog Trail" by Jack London (complete short story)
• Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega (lyrics)

Criticism

• Night on Earth: The New York episode as a slice of life story
• Green Man review of Dubliners