Product 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 popular movies and TV soap operas of today, it shows that there are seven archetypal themes which recur throughout every kind of storytelling. But this is only the prelude to an investigation into how and why we are 'programmed' to imagine stories in these ways, and how they relate to the inmost patterns of human psychology. Drawing on a vast array of examples, from Proust to detective stories, from the Marquis de Sade to E.T., Christopher Booker then leads us through the extraordinary changes in the nature of storytelling over the past 200 years, and why so many stories have 'lost the plot' by losing touch with their underlying archetypal purpose. Booker analyses why evolution has given us the need to tell stories and illustrates how storytelling has provided a uniquely revealing mirror to mankind's psychological development over the past 5000 years. This seminal book opens up in an entirely new way our understanding of the real purpose storytelling plays in our lives, and will be a talking point for years to come.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #126090 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 736 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Many writing guides have suggested that fiction contains a limited number of basic plots, and Booker offers his version at great length. Furthermore, he claims all of these plots, from "overcoming the monster" to "rebirth," are variations on "the same great basic drama," a Jungian archetypal representation of the development and integration of the mature self. The meticulous detailing of this theory in plot summaries (of everything from Beowulf to Jaws, ancient comedy to modern tragedy, Western culture and Eastern) is an imposing enough task, but Booker is just warming up. In the book's second half, he explains how the psychological shortcomings of modern authors such as Shaw and Joyce led them to reject archetypal truth in favor of writing out their own sentimental and morbid fantasies. The biographical analysis is simplistic, however, and Booker makes numerous errors in the sections on film. The transition from literary criticism to Jungian psychology might be more bearable were it not saddled with an overabundance of academic cliché surprising in a writer of Booker's extensive journalistic background (he now contributes to England's Daily Telegraph). Clearly striving for the intellectual respectability of Northrop Frye, he falls far short, and accusing those who disagree with him of suffering from "limited ego-consciousness" doesn't help his case. (Apr.)
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Customer Reviews

Great work ... not the end of the story
Many reviews here both positive and negative describe this facinating work in great detail ... consider whichever of them you will, then factor this into your decision: Everything you are ever told is an opinion. That's true of Mr. Booker's book and the reviews expressed here. I read not to agree with the author of a work on all points but in order to see what a book makes me THINK ... to this end a book can make many points that I do not agree with and still be highly useful, entertaining, even life transforming.


I did not find that the Christopher Booker's seeming critism of certain works being "flawed" or refered to in other seemingly negative ways really damaged his basic theory ... I chose to take it that they were flawed as to how they applied to his model and pressed on. Yes, he has what may be seen as a "traditional" point of view regarding literature and other subjects but in a work about the evolution of storytelling tradition counts for quite a bit.

It's a hefty tome. I described it to some of my friends as "a career." MANY subjects (certain psychological theories and much else) must be accepted as a given or the thing would be much longer and would take forever to make any point at all. Much of the controversy stems from Booker's seeming condemnation of certain types of entertainment produced in the last 200 years.

He makes some good points, some feel like moralizing ... some are possibly legitimately moralising. Much of his discussion of "Waiting For Godot" MAY have been criticism as it emerged from his word processor (or typewriter!) however I could EASILY read it as commending the play for brilliantly identifying issues at large in the culture at the time ... his point is clear but his opinion is not ... and MY opinion (high praise for Godot) was built entirely on his observations.

There are places where the examination falls short, again there must be or this work that took 30 years to complete would remain perpetually unfinished. He, and others, fail to take into consideration the fact that much of the work he discusses prior to the Romantic Period was not "commercial writing," the author wasn't working for a paycheck, a fact that motivates many writers to put out work that isn't as completely "cooked" as material that they have revisited several times over a decade or so. Movies are examined but an aspect never discussed (by this author or most members of the entertainment press) is the influence of several levels of creative executives all submitting both intelligent and idiotic ideas to the writers (sometimes dozens and many incredited) and director ... ideas that cannot be ignored (because these executives are "the boss," the final authority at the studio). Also not considered is the fact that many of the more traditional stories were told for many years before being written down, then were told more times and written down again and again. Each time they dipped into the well of the unconsious, becoming more and more distilled ... this is very different than a modern novel which is often written over a limited time frame, rewritten over a more limited time frame and then rushed into print. The modern work runs the risk of being less purely refined than a work in existance hundreds or thousands of years before it's modern incarnation. It is slightly possible that someday in the far future the recent film version of Beowolf will be considered 'the original,' it ceratinly has many of the features of 'classical' literature. However, it is a distinct, wonderful, and innaccurate reworking of what we know to be the story ... the true original might have been very different.

All that said, I return to what I hope is a meaningful point. This is not a highly controversial work but it is right and proper for anyone reading this or any other book to point out its imperfections. In many cases, especially in a work of complex opinion such as this one, that is the evidence that the author is doing his job. People are thinking, thinking hard about what he has said. Their opinions indicate that they have learned from or refined their thoughts because of what he has written.

The Seven Basic Plots is a great work. No one needs to take it as some kind of gospel. No one needs to agree with every point for it to be the learning experience of a lifetime. It's successes and failures are simply food for more creative thought. It's a big book with small type but if you have the time and an open mind you too can read it, learn from it, agree and disagree with it.

Unusual justification for reading Booker's book.
I've just ordered this book and have read others with similar approaches in condensing the possibilities of literature (Joseph Campbell essentially narrowed it down to one story - the hero's journey). There are a variety of books with 33, 48, 7 or whatever number they've concluded. They all have value to me as a researcher on writing fiction (I run a place called Writers' Village University and develop courses and writing programs for our members -- we want to know the rules, but more importantly, how to break them with accessible style). All of these books have worthy insights, but writing should have no boundaries outside of having one foot in entertainment and or an educational value, and the other foot in unexplored territory (writing is exploration for both reader and writer). That's how literature and progress itself move forward. All our abstract concept metaphors are teamed with concrete metaphors to help us understand them (life or love = the journey metaphor (crossroads, rocky road, we've come a long way, dying, one-way street); argument, business and even love = the war metaphor (tactics, strategies, win, defeat, concede,); business = the plant or tree metaphor (cultivating, branches, growing, fruits). The Internet is using the Super Highway metaphor. The problem I'm beginning to see is the metaphors we use to understand concepts also limits where we can take them. Booker's book is helpful in showing the limits imposed on the art of telling a good story. If you understand the conventional boundaries, you begin to understand where you can tear down the walls. This is an unusual endorsement for a book, but as critical reader, I thrive on opposing points of view and look between the lines for practical values, especially ones that offer alternate avenues for refreshing literature.

RJ Hembree

A great resource to help you write a bestselling novel or highly successful movie screenplay.

I liked this book very much. It was kind of longwinded. But since it is a resource book and not a mere how-to on writing, I could overlook how long it was. The more content the better because it gave me more examples and things to think about regarding the subject matter.

The book is broken into four basic parts:

1. The 7 basic plots
2. Stories told well
3. Stories not told well
4. Why people tell stories

And the 7 basic plots are as follows:

1. Overcoming themonster
2. Rags to riches
3. A journey - the quest
4. A journey - the voyage and return
5. Comedies
6. Tragedies
7. Rebirth

This book took 34 years to write (so says the author). But I think it took so long because the author was not motivated to finish it a lot sooner. This is true even though the book is kind of heavy at 728 pages. There are many stories cited throughout the book as examples of what the author discusses. And all the stories cited are referenced in an index at the end of the book.

What I liked the most about the book was how logical and informative it was. I particularly liked the fact that I could look at the Table of Contents and pretty much tell what the book was about. As a result, reading the book was a pleasure. However, I did have to dig a little when it came to Chapter 12. At first glance I thought the author had added another plot and forgotten to tell me about it or to redo the title of the book. I probably would have liked the book better if Chapter 12 had been put someplace else.

When I read this book I also read The Writer's Journey (ISBN: 193290736X) and Story (ISBN: 0060391685). All three books compliment each other and relate to the art/process of writing a bestselling novel, drama, or movie script. I recommend if you read one, then go ahead and read all three.

At the end of this book there is a glossary of terms. I found it to be a little helpful. In fact, I found it to be very helpful when reading The Writer's Journey because that book failed to have a glossary. 5 stars!