3 ms·

> I can't read any more hero stories, I've developed allergies. Given that the oldest stories we have are hero stories (e.g., Gilgamesh) and that the most succ

> I can't read any more hero stories, I've developed allergies. Given that the oldest stories we have are hero stories (e.g., Gilgamesh) and that the most successful stories of modern times are also hero stories (e.g., MCU), as well as pretty much every bit of fiction that has withstood the test of time in between, I would not expect that many share your opinion.

PuppyTailWags 4y ago
Actually, the stories that are by far the most successful in modern day, romance stories, don't follow this structure at all. Romance has its own fairly strict story structure and expected beats, to the point where the industry has its own jargon (HEA, aka the happily ever after, describes a common-enough ending structure such that some folks interpret as a lack of it being a disqualification for considering the story a romance story!) Also, the many of the oldest stories we have also don't follow this structure. Consider traditional Australian Aboriginal storytelling, ancient Mayan storytelling, or even specific story structures in reference to current events: German storytelling had an entire genre that focused on postwar economic hardship and didn't at all follow hero stories. Thrillers rarely follow this structure, nor does horror.
- Turing_Machine 4y ago
  > Actually, the stories that are by far the most successful in modern day, romance stories The box office disagrees. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross/ https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross/ One could maybe argue that "Titanic" (number 8) and "Beauty and the Beast" (number 18) are romances, but both of those also have strong action-adventure elements. The first one I see that I would qualify as a pure romance is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", all the way down at number 149.
  - PuppyTailWags 4y ago
    I mean, if you're only defining stories as movies, that's a little confusing... I was talking about literature.

PuppyTailWags 4y ago

Actually, the stories that are by far the most successful in modern day, romance stories, don't follow this structure at all. Romance has its own fairly strict story structure and expected beats, to the point where the industry has its own jargon (HEA, aka the happily ever after, describes a common-enough ending structure such that some folks interpret as a lack of it being a disqualification for considering the story a romance story!) Also, the many of the oldest stories we have also don't follow this structure. Consider traditional Australian Aboriginal storytelling, ancient Mayan storytelling, or even specific story structures in reference to current events: German storytelling had an entire genre that focused on postwar economic hardship and didn't at all follow hero stories. Thrillers rarely follow this structure, nor does horror.

Turing_Machine 4y ago
> Actually, the stories that are by far the most successful in modern day, romance stories The box office disagrees. https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross/ https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross/ One could maybe argue that "Titanic" (number 8) and "Beauty and the Beast" (number 18) are romances, but both of those also have strong action-adventure elements. The first one I see that I would qualify as a pure romance is "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", all the way down at number 149.
- PuppyTailWags 4y ago
  I mean, if you're only defining stories as movies, that's a little confusing... I was talking about literature.