Why read The Seven Basic Plots?

Book cover of The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories

Book description

This remarkable and monumental book at last provides a comprehensive answer to the age-old riddle of whether there are only a small number of 'basic stories' in the world. Using a wealth of examples, from ancient myths and folk tales via the plays and novels of great literature to the…

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Mythology

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Seven Basic Plots as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

James R. Benn

Author

This book is a masterwork of more than thirty years of research into why people tell stories. Booker breaks down literature into seven archetypal themes which occur across all types of stories. Using a wealth of examples ranging from ancient myths and folktales to plays and novels of great literature to the popular movies and TV soap operas of today, he demonstrates how these archetypal themes have remained constant over the generations. Not everyone will agree with Booker, but everyone will learn from him—about reading, writing, and understanding. This fascinating read provides writers with a new way to look at…

From James' list on The best and most essential books for writers.