Review by Emily, high school student and bibliophile
So I
picked this one up randomly off the library shelf one day, and my first thought
was, "What a tome!"
Naturally,
I brought it home with me. I never can resist big books. They draw me like
magnets. And this is one big book, at over 700 pages.
This book
is about stories. About why we tell them, and how certain things must happen
within those stories to give the reader (or watcher, or listener) satisfaction
and closure. The author has obviously thoroughly researched; he cites literally
hundreds of stories: plays, operas, epics, books, movies . . . and he shows how
each is unique, and yet so very similar to others of its genre.
The seven
basic plots are as follows: Overcoming the Monster, Rags to Riches, The Quest,
Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, and Rebirth. He goes through each, and its
variations, and shows what has to happen for that story to be fulfilled - or
turned on its head. It's fascinating how many very different stories have the
very same bones, really. He begins with a striking example: the movie Jaws
and the epic Beowulf. When he breaks it down, they're scarily similar.
Yet, he insists, it is not because someone decided to copy the story, it is
because we all think in terms of stories, and our human nature draws us back to
these archetypal plots through the vast reaches of time.
In the
end, I loved this book because it's an invaluable resource. It made me think,
and although at times difficult to wade through, it really did make for some
wonderful reading.
Market:
Adult Nonfiction
Language:
Mild to none
Sensuality:
None
Violence:
Mild
3 comments:
Sounds interesting! Thanks for the review.
That seems really interesting. I want to read it now and see whether or not I agree with him.
Sounds like an awesomely geeky read.
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