The Seven Basic Plots

I saw it on the shelf of the bookshop this summer and thought, I have got to have that. The Seven Basic Plots, by Christopher Booker. I'm a novelist. I am about to set out on a journey to find out about why people love stories. This book has to be for me, right?

"A profound insight into mankind's psychological needs' says one of the review quotes on the back. I want. I definitely want.

Unfortunately, I am also a very slow reader and this book is blessed with 728 densely-written pages. It isn't a novel, so there aren't chunks of easy-read dialogue to break up the text.

Looking at the chapter headings and dipping in here and there, I have discovered that the seven basic plots are, according to Christopher Booker:

• Overcoming the Monster
• Rags to Riches
• The Quest
• Voyage and Return
• Comedy
• Tragedy
• Rebirth

The amazing thing about this work is the number of examples the author cites for each type. No wonder it took him so many years to write. It is an extraordinary achievement. And the quotes he has found to sprinkle through the text - thought provoking. How about this one:

The difference between men and animals is that men tell stories

- source untraced

It is so tantalising. But my frustration at not being able to read faster, not yet being able to extract a picture of the whole subject - this is intense.

I will read it. I will. But I know I won't be able to finish it before my own journey is well underway.