Rating: 4 stars
Headline: After reading this book, you will never see a story in the same way again
Review:
Story and Structure: A Complete Guide by Leon Conrad breaks down the key components of each of the eighteen types of story structure into its constituent parts.
An editor and creative consultant, Conrad’s previous experience makes him no fledging when it comes to the study of writing. Introducing a broad range of tales, from well-known folk stories and Greek mythology to short stories hailing from India and Japan, Conrad draws on patterns in storytelling, highlighting the similarities, patterns and traits within the various story types. Each chapter is introduced with a charming illustration by the artist Jason Chaung and a summary definition (some story structures being easier to define than others). After summarising a tale that deploys the story structure (e.g “The Three Little Pigs”), Conrad dives into a microscopic study, dissecting the elements of its structure.
The use of illustrative symbols plays a significant role in this book. In fact it is probably truer to say that without use of George Spencer-Brown’s calculus, Story and Structure would cease to exist. Conrad deploys a multitude of symbols within a table format to highlight the key twists and turns in different stories. Beginning with the traditional Quest structure and its six illustrative symbols, Conrad gradually introduces new terms and symbols to break down increasingly complex story structures. In the “Trickster” structure, discussion expands to analyse the developmental arc of multiple characters. As if by magic, one straightforward folk story suddenly becomes three multi-dimensional and interwoven tales.
Initially the use of symbols and tables can come across as overwhelming and complex to understand. However with each structure type you begin to to better interpret and translate the symbols. After reading the book once I returned to some of the earlier chapters and found the detailing to be more self-explanatory.
Conrad’s guide to story structure should be treated as a top-shelf reference guide for anyone wanting to study the art of story structure as opposed to a quick flick before bed. With this book, perseverance is key, after reading Story and Structure: A Complete Guide you will never interpret a story in the same way again.
AEB Reviews
Links
Reedsy Discovery Review: AEB Reviews – Story and Structure: A Complete Guide
Purchase Link: Story and Structure: A Complete Guide (Amazon)
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