The Seven Basic Plots

Narrator Liam Gerrard does his best to keep listeners engaged throughout the nearly 40 hours of this dense audiobook, which Booker worked on for 34 years and was published in print in 2004. Gerrard's inquisitive and even tone, steady pacing, and clear enunciation showcase Booker's words. The first section enumerates seven categories of plot, with an ambitious number of examples from novels, plays, poems, folktales, mythology, fairy tales, and even movies such as STAR WARS and CROCODILE DUNDEE. Then, with considerable emphasis on Jungian analysis, Booker sets forth his theories on archetypal literary characters and why storytelling has changed over the past 200 years. With its length and frequently repetitive content, this audiobook is best appreciated in short listens. M.J. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine