Stylistics and stylometry
Simone Rebora · 2026
The chapter focuses on the definition of the concept of style, from the point of view of both stylistics and stylometry (i.e., the computational study of style). A brief overview of the main schools and theories in stylistics highlights a broadening definition of the concept, which extends to issues of narratology and reader response. The main stylometric methods are described in detail, focusing in particular on two approaches: Delta (for authorship attribution) and Zeta (for keyword analysis). A comparison between stylistics and stylometry highlights not only their common roots, but also how the latter implies a narrower interpretation of style, strongly focused on individual authoriality. However, by leveraging the centrality of the “deviation paradigm” and through a reconsideration of the supposed “death of the author,” stylometry also opens new perspectives on the study of literature. A selection of case studies accompanies the overview.