The first decade of the twenty-first century witnessed the rapid development of narratology. This paper makes a diachronic overview of the cognitive approaches to literature, and narrative in particular. To a larger extent, cognitive narratology is an immediate result from the marriage between cognitive science and narrative studies. This paper argues that the future of cognitive narratology lies in integrating the diverse cognitive approaches and testing them empirically. Thought it might risk quickening the crisis of narrative studies in specific or even literary studies in general, it will see the birth of a new paradigm.