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calhale1989's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a fun and informative book. It broke down the process in an approachable way and I learned a lot.
rebeccazh's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely fascinating. I didn't know reading about genres could be so interesting. Gail Carriger deconstructs the Hero and Heroine's Journey and uses pop culture examples, and goes in depth to provide writing advice and analysis of the Heroine's Journey. In short, the Hero's Journey defines success as (solitary) victory, triumph, power (Batman); it generates feelings of excitement for readers. Narrative endpoints often see the hero alone or so changed from the journey he can no longer return (Frodo).
The Heroine's journey defines success as connection, belonging, family (blood or found); it generates feelings of comfort for readers. Narrative endpoints often see the heroine with community, family, friends, etc. Think Harry Potter, or the typical romance novel trajectory. Detective novels also fall under this category, which does make a lot of sense to me.
Carriger talked about crossovers between the two genres, which was very fascinating and illuminating. And honestly this explained to me why I like the books I like, because of the feeling of comfort and connection.
I lowkey kind of wish this was a bit more concise but nonetheless, I managed to read the whole book continuously despite being in a reading slump. How do I find more books like this...
The Heroine's journey defines success as connection, belonging, family (blood or found); it generates feelings of comfort for readers. Narrative endpoints often see the heroine with community, family, friends, etc. Think Harry Potter, or the typical romance novel trajectory. Detective novels also fall under this category, which does make a lot of sense to me.
Carriger talked about crossovers between the two genres, which was very fascinating and illuminating. And honestly this explained to me why I like the books I like, because of the feeling of comfort and connection.
I lowkey kind of wish this was a bit more concise but nonetheless, I managed to read the whole book continuously despite being in a reading slump. How do I find more books like this...
aneibauer's review against another edition
5.0
I had no idea what to expect when I picked up this book. I knew the Hero's Journey. I liked the Hero's Journey. With an emphasis on individuality, solo achievement, revenge, not asking for help, and vanquishing the enemy, as a white male, I liked the Hero’s Journey because that is how I was taught to be a man. Toxic masculinity pervaded my childhood and I learned early on to categorize men and women in binary archetypes. Men are strong heroes, women are weak seductresses. Men are capable of saving the world on their own and their women will be there to welcome them at home when they return.
Enter Gail Carriger. She turned all of that inside out and I'm so grateful she did!
You see, even though I've always felt a lure toward the Hero's Journey, something never quite fit: there's been this nagging suspicion that I might be on a different path (or that there might even be a different path). Growing up, I wanted to be the hero, but I never wanted to end up alone. I wanted to save the day, but I hated aggressive violence. I preferred compromise and connection, but was scared to ask for help when I needed it. Carriger does a remarkable job of simultaneously educating and entertaining. I've learned so much about the Heroine's Journey! I've started reading the Greek myths of Demeter and Inanna and the Egyptian myth of Isis. I've reread Twilight and Harry Potter, lecturing to anyone that in fact, Harry was on a heroine’s, not a hero’s journey. I've gained a deeper appreciation for romance and young adult literature. I even rewatched some of my favorite romantic comedies! With this newly gained knowledge of the Heroine's structure and foundational myths, I still can't believe that this separate narrative structure has existed and I never found it.
Gail Carriger also does a fantastic job of writing to the writer. I appreciate her insight in how to write like a heroine and how to modify various archetypes in order to write engaging stories. I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about critically examining the Hero's Journey in order to break the binary of the male hero versus female seductress. I’m deep down the Heroine’s Journey rabbit hole now and I don't plan on emerging any time soon.
Enter Gail Carriger. She turned all of that inside out and I'm so grateful she did!
You see, even though I've always felt a lure toward the Hero's Journey, something never quite fit: there's been this nagging suspicion that I might be on a different path (or that there might even be a different path). Growing up, I wanted to be the hero, but I never wanted to end up alone. I wanted to save the day, but I hated aggressive violence. I preferred compromise and connection, but was scared to ask for help when I needed it. Carriger does a remarkable job of simultaneously educating and entertaining. I've learned so much about the Heroine's Journey! I've started reading the Greek myths of Demeter and Inanna and the Egyptian myth of Isis. I've reread Twilight and Harry Potter, lecturing to anyone that in fact, Harry was on a heroine’s, not a hero’s journey. I've gained a deeper appreciation for romance and young adult literature. I even rewatched some of my favorite romantic comedies! With this newly gained knowledge of the Heroine's structure and foundational myths, I still can't believe that this separate narrative structure has existed and I never found it.
Gail Carriger also does a fantastic job of writing to the writer. I appreciate her insight in how to write like a heroine and how to modify various archetypes in order to write engaging stories. I highly recommend this book to anyone curious about critically examining the Hero's Journey in order to break the binary of the male hero versus female seductress. I’m deep down the Heroine’s Journey rabbit hole now and I don't plan on emerging any time soon.
nicluvly's review against another edition
medium-paced
5.0
This was so incredible and thought provoking. I'll be reccommending it to all my writer friends.
lzebarah's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
This book was, frankly, validating. It seems most books on story structure and plot focus on the Hero's Journey. No matter how hard I tried, I could not fit what I was writing into that structure. It was a square peg to round hole situation.
The majority of the points made in The Heroine's Journey were the issues I was having. Now I have a new framework and everything is flowing much more smoothly.
I will say that this book seems to have been formatted for eBook, and just copy/pasted over to print. There are hyperlinks that I cannot click, due to reading it on paper. I hope a new edition is released, one that is actually formatted for paperback.
The majority of the points made in The Heroine's Journey were the issues I was having. Now I have a new framework and everything is flowing much more smoothly.
I will say that this book seems to have been formatted for eBook, and just copy/pasted over to print. There are hyperlinks that I cannot click, due to reading it on paper. I hope a new edition is released, one that is actually formatted for paperback.
angeladaybooks's review against another edition
3.0
This was a good read and validated some of the adjustments I already make to the Heroes Journey process I use in planning and plotting a story. I do recommend for the technical aspects, especially if you like the Heroes Journey and find that it doesn't always suit your needs. I still use the Heroes Journey the way it is, but I'm more confident in softening or changing its parameters.
msbyfield's review against another edition
5.0
A deeply satisfying craft book, especially so because there is so little of this narrative represented in nonfiction -- being roundly in favor of the Hero's Journey as a "standard" of good stories.
The Heroine's Journey is a subversion of this standard, in many ways, with its emphasis on community and compromise as strength, rather than isolation and vengeance. (By design the book I have written is a Heroine's Journey, without having the academic framework to call it such.)
Carriger explains the devices of the Heroine's Journey, provides literary examples, and offers a strong case for its appeal to audiences. I did not find her voice meandering; in my experience it cut to the chase more readily than other craft books.
I appreciated how it's established from the beginning that the narrative hallmarks of the Heroine's Journey can apply to any gender, and the model itself isn't always exact. I thoroughly enjoyed her observations on the nature of storytelling taking shape, including describing the transference of mythological narratives throughout history as a game of Telephone.
(CW: discussion of assault)
Carriger cautions against certain messaging in writing fiction that could have a detrimental impact, and examines the author's responsibility to an audience. While this is important, a few of these examinations fell a bit short to me. The use of sexual assault, for example, is dismissed as a mistake when it's written to motivate the heroine into action. This absolutely makes sense when it's the sole inciting event of the heroine's character progression, used as a plot device. But I hoped for a mention that there do exist humanizing ways of portraying assault when it's an important part of character development within a violent culture. Sometimes assault is written to give survivors (both authors and readers) a voice and a journey into healing, and it seems invalidating to call its narrative inclusion a mistake out of hand. Similarly, in an examination of the use of the "rival lovers" trope, its potential for harm isn't discussed, and I hoped for more expansion there too.
However, taken together this is a concise and brilliantly researched primer for writers of this narrative. I'm so glad it exists and will reference it many times over.
The Heroine's Journey is a subversion of this standard, in many ways, with its emphasis on community and compromise as strength, rather than isolation and vengeance. (By design the book I have written is a Heroine's Journey, without having the academic framework to call it such.)
Carriger explains the devices of the Heroine's Journey, provides literary examples, and offers a strong case for its appeal to audiences. I did not find her voice meandering; in my experience it cut to the chase more readily than other craft books.
I appreciated how it's established from the beginning that the narrative hallmarks of the Heroine's Journey can apply to any gender, and the model itself isn't always exact. I thoroughly enjoyed her observations on the nature of storytelling taking shape, including describing the transference of mythological narratives throughout history as a game of Telephone.
(CW: discussion of assault)
Carriger cautions against certain messaging in writing fiction that could have a detrimental impact, and examines the author's responsibility to an audience. While this is important, a few of these examinations fell a bit short to me. The use of sexual assault, for example, is dismissed as a mistake when it's written to motivate the heroine into action. This absolutely makes sense when it's the sole inciting event of the heroine's character progression, used as a plot device. But I hoped for a mention that there do exist humanizing ways of portraying assault when it's an important part of character development within a violent culture. Sometimes assault is written to give survivors (both authors and readers) a voice and a journey into healing, and it seems invalidating to call its narrative inclusion a mistake out of hand. Similarly, in an examination of the use of the "rival lovers" trope, its potential for harm isn't discussed, and I hoped for more expansion there too.
However, taken together this is a concise and brilliantly researched primer for writers of this narrative. I'm so glad it exists and will reference it many times over.