---
product_id: 32722956
title: "Adventure, Mystery, and Romance: Formula Stories as Art and Popular Culture (Phoenix Series)"
brand: "john g. cawelti"
price: "A$100"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 7
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/32722956-adventure-mystery-and-romance-formula-stories-as-art-and-popular
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# Adventure, Mystery, and Romance: Formula Stories as Art and Popular Culture (Phoenix Series)

**Brand:** john g. cawelti
**Price:** A$100
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Adventure, Mystery, and Romance: Formula Stories as Art and Popular Culture (Phoenix Series) by john g. cawelti
- **How much does it cost?** A$100 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/32722956-adventure-mystery-and-romance-formula-stories-as-art-and-popular)

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- john g. cawelti enthusiasts

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## Description

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## Images

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## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    An entertaining and informative look at genre literature
  

*by K***R on Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2012*

This fascinating, engaging, and insightful book examines "formulaic" genres of literature. The early chapters focus on the generalized readers' experience -- the appeal of works of fiction that provide a seemingly paradoxical combination of pleasures: on the one hand an adventure-filled escape from mundane everyday life, and on the other hand the security and comfort of a familiar structure and a predictable outcome. In his introduction, Cawelti charmingly compares the experience to that of a young child's bedtime story:"As children we learn new things about the world and ourselves from stories. By hearing about creatures and events that transcend the limits of space and time allotted to us we widen the range of our imagination and are prepared to deal with new situations and experiences. But children also clutch at the security of the familiar. How often a child rejects a new story, preferring to hear one he has already been told a hundred times. And as he hears again the often-heard, his eyes glaze over with pleasure, his body relaxes, and, the story ends in peaceful slumber."Most of the book examines several formulaic genres in detail: The classic detective story, the hard-boiled detective story, the western, and "the best-selling social melodrama" (think Jacqueline Susann, etc.). In addition to taking an overall look at these genres, several authors and novels are analyzed in greater detail. Cawelti gives us insights into how a number of novels fit into their particular genre, into the world of literature in general, and into their contemporary culture. I found his examinations of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler particularly interesting, but all of the "analytic criticism" to be found in the book was cogent, informative, and just plain enjoyable reading.And indeed, this book as a whole should be enjoyable reading for anyone who's interested in formulaic genre fiction, or literature and fiction in general. Through the study of this branch of fiction, one can't help but be enlightened about all the rest of literature as well; after all, isn't literary fiction largely defined by what it is NOT -- by its avoidance of much of what genre fiction embraces?I would also recommend this book to any author who writes or is thinking of writing within the genres that Cawelti covers. In this book you'll find some remarkably clear analyses of the "formulas" of the formulaic genres -- what fans of the genre expect and what it is about the genre that they find appealing.  Cawelti compares the author of formulaic fiction to the cast and director of a new production of a familiar play; a certain degree of creativity and originality is expected, but a writer who violates certain key elements of the formula is likely to disappoint his/her target audience as much as a director who decides to rewrite Oscar Wilde's dialog.So in sum, if anyone has ever asked you "Why do you read that trash?", here's a book you can proudly throw at them -- literally, if you like. For another excellent and equally throwable book on this subject, see 
  
An Aesthetics of Junk Fiction







  
  
     by Thomas J. Roberts .

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    dated, but foundational
  

*by C***Y on Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2015*

This text has a frustrating tendency toward baseless speculation and generalization, yet does a lot of excellent work in probing popular literary forms. The conclusion especially demonstrates a foresight that remains lacking in many studies today. A worthwhile read, even if dated.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5.0 out of 5 stars







  
  
    Cawalti illuminates literary formulas
  

*by V***S on Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2018*

Cawalti shows how history, myth, and legend are represented in literary genres. He starts with a typology of literary formulas (adventure, romance, mystery, melodrama, aliens). He then deals specifically with crimeinal/detective stories and western.I am using this in course preparation on western movies.

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*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-19*