Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them
What is it about stories that grips us so completely? John Yorke, the man behind the BBC Writers' Academy and a career's worth of compelling British drama, has written a book that takes that simple question and pulls it apart with real intellectual force. His central argument is a fascinating one: that all narratives, from ancient myths to big-budget films, share a common underlying structure, one that mirrors the classic fairytale journey into the woods and back again. It's not a superficial pattern either. Yorke traces it right down to the bone. Short, sharp observations sit alongside richly developed ideas, making the book feel alive rather than academic. You'll find yourself reconsidering stories you thought you knew inside out. Tony Jordan, creator of 'Life on Mars', called it quite simply the best book on the subject he'd ever read. Julian Fellowes described it as marvellous. The 'Evening Standard' praised its packed, intelligent argument. Peter Bowker went further still, placing it alongside William Goldman's legendary 'Adventures in the Screen Trade' as essential reading for anyone serious about screenwriting. Whether you write, watch, or simply love a good story, this book offers something genuinely illuminating about why narrative sits so close to the centre of human experience.
- Author: John Yorke
- Publisher: Penguin
- Genre: Film & Cinema
- ISBN: 978-0141978109
- Pages: 336 pages