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Adventure, mystery, and romance: Formula stories as art and popular culture
In this first general theory for the analysis of popular literary formulas, John G. Cawelti reveals the artistry that underlies the best in formulaic literature. Cawelti discusses such seemingly diverse works as Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Dorothy Sayers's The Nine Tailors, and Owen Wister's The Virginian in the light of his hypotheses about the cultural function of formula literature. He describes the most important artistic characteristics of popular formula stories and the differences between this literature and that commonly labeled "high" or "serious" literature. He also defines the archetypal patterns of adventure, mystery, romance, melodrama, and fantasy, and offers a tentative account of their basis in human psychology.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 4, 2017
An excellent study of formulaic/genre fiction that strikes the perfect balance between respecting and admiring its subject and being honest with its limitations. The first chapters, and the introduction and conclusion, are must-reads for anyone interested in serious approaches to popular culture and genre literature; whereas the core of the book is a detailed exploration of the inner dynamics of the Social Melodrama, the Western, and (especially) Mystery/Gangster fiction.
Academically sound yet very accessible. Truly a milestone of literary criticism.
Academically sound yet very accessible. Truly a milestone of literary criticism.
January 15, 2018
Cawelti provides this thorough breakdown of the academic case for popular or “low” genres of writing, making a case for the titular genres as having something worth saying and displaying some art in the doing. This is a stance that was controversial when the book was written. And while Mr. Cawelti, from his writing desk in the 1970s, could never have predicted the explosion of popular and “nerd” culture and the diffusion a distillation of popular media to progressively more and more rote archetypes to the point that “low” culture has widely subsumed “high” culture, what he has to say about these genres, the purpose they serve, and what makes them qualitatively good or bad remain true to this day.
In summary, Cawelti posits that the genres of mystery, adventure, and romance - “adventure” in this context meaning mostly crime stories and westerns - both serve as a reflection of the collective consciousness at a given time while at once helping to reinforce it. In the same way that subgenres of various horror films have been acknowledged as being representative of the great cultural fear of the age, Cawelti argues: that social melodrama serves to reinforce social-sexual mores while providing the reader of vicarious trip through redemptive sin; that westerns are an expression of our collective yearning for that which is missing from our industrialized, modern lives; that gangster stories allow us to vicariously experience the seedier side of life before returning us safely to a reality in which “crime doesn’t pay” and social mores are reinforced; that mysteries engage us in pattern-recognition and character analysis; and that hard-boiled detective stories provide us with a cathartic means of release for our frustration over injustices we witness. In this, Cawelti argues, while few of these works will attain the status of “high” art, they nevertheless collectively serve an important purpose, functioning as the bricks and mortar of our cultural edifice, continuously reshaping and reinforcing the narrative that we are all telling herself about the world we live in and how it operates. Moreover, these reinforcing notes in that song are what allow artistic apexes like Hemingway, Capote, etc. to stand out, both by comparison, and by having built on the existing structure of a narrative we all have collectively internalized, tropes and all.
This is not an easy book to read. It seems to be a scholarly text, written to be studied as part of a lecture course. It is packed with dense, meaningful text, heavily cited throughout, and the author states his intentions and conclusions rather plainly. He relies heavily upon case examples, as one must when performing literary criticism and synthesis, and makes a very solid case for his thesis, even if that case is sometimes so heavy and detail-laden that one could be forgiven for losing the thesis in it.
Something heartening that came up again and again in this book is that Cawelti seems to approach his subject matter from a theoretical perspective that is inclusive of feminist and critical theory. For a book written nearly 50 years ago, it’s treatment of female and homosexual characters is surprisingly modern, and deeply critical of the tropes that characterized these genres when the book was written. Moreover, Cawelti seems very aware of the fact that many of the conventions of these genres existed to serve a heteronormative, patriarchal view of America, and he doesn’t flinch from criticizing this.
If you have a keen interest in the genre studies, or an anthropological interest in how fiction is reflective of the culture that creates it, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Good luck finding it.
In summary, Cawelti posits that the genres of mystery, adventure, and romance - “adventure” in this context meaning mostly crime stories and westerns - both serve as a reflection of the collective consciousness at a given time while at once helping to reinforce it. In the same way that subgenres of various horror films have been acknowledged as being representative of the great cultural fear of the age, Cawelti argues: that social melodrama serves to reinforce social-sexual mores while providing the reader of vicarious trip through redemptive sin; that westerns are an expression of our collective yearning for that which is missing from our industrialized, modern lives; that gangster stories allow us to vicariously experience the seedier side of life before returning us safely to a reality in which “crime doesn’t pay” and social mores are reinforced; that mysteries engage us in pattern-recognition and character analysis; and that hard-boiled detective stories provide us with a cathartic means of release for our frustration over injustices we witness. In this, Cawelti argues, while few of these works will attain the status of “high” art, they nevertheless collectively serve an important purpose, functioning as the bricks and mortar of our cultural edifice, continuously reshaping and reinforcing the narrative that we are all telling herself about the world we live in and how it operates. Moreover, these reinforcing notes in that song are what allow artistic apexes like Hemingway, Capote, etc. to stand out, both by comparison, and by having built on the existing structure of a narrative we all have collectively internalized, tropes and all.
This is not an easy book to read. It seems to be a scholarly text, written to be studied as part of a lecture course. It is packed with dense, meaningful text, heavily cited throughout, and the author states his intentions and conclusions rather plainly. He relies heavily upon case examples, as one must when performing literary criticism and synthesis, and makes a very solid case for his thesis, even if that case is sometimes so heavy and detail-laden that one could be forgiven for losing the thesis in it.
Something heartening that came up again and again in this book is that Cawelti seems to approach his subject matter from a theoretical perspective that is inclusive of feminist and critical theory. For a book written nearly 50 years ago, it’s treatment of female and homosexual characters is surprisingly modern, and deeply critical of the tropes that characterized these genres when the book was written. Moreover, Cawelti seems very aware of the fact that many of the conventions of these genres existed to serve a heteronormative, patriarchal view of America, and he doesn’t flinch from criticizing this.
If you have a keen interest in the genre studies, or an anthropological interest in how fiction is reflective of the culture that creates it, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Good luck finding it.
April 5, 2012
Excellent breakdown of formula fiction, especially for adventure and mystery. Cawelti shows why formula story should not be viewed as inferior novels or stories but as art in itself. Great insight to the moral fantasies that are being fulfilled in each formula.
September 1, 2025
“The reason why formulas are constructed in this way is, I think, fairy straightforward. Certain story archetypes particularly fulfill man’s needs for enjoyment and escape […] But in order for these patterns to work, they must be embodied in figures, settings, and situations that have appropriate meanings for the culture which produces them. One cannot write a successful adventure story about a social character type that the culture cannot conceive in heroic terms; this is why we have so few adventure stories about plumbers, janitors, or street sweepers" (6).
“Two sorts of stereotype vitalization seem particularly effective. The first is the stereotypical character who also embodies qualities that seem contrary to the stereotypical traits. For example, Sherlock Holmes is the stereotype of the rational, scientific investigator, the supreme man of reason. Yet, at the same time, his character paradoxically incorporates basic qualities from a contrary stereotype, that of the dreamy romantic poet, for Holmes is also a man of intuition, a dreamer, and a drug taker, who spends hours fiddling aimlessly on his violin. This combination of opposing stereotypical traits is one of the things that made Holmes such a striking literary character. A similarly paradoxical mixture marks the portrayals of some of the great western stars. Gary Cooper, for example, is typically a man of violence, enormously skilled with guns and fists and faster on the draw than anyone else; yet he also plays a character of great shyness and gentleness. Because Cooper so effectively embodied these stereotypical opposites in his manner and physical presence, he became perhaps the greatest of western stars” (11).
“Two sorts of stereotype vitalization seem particularly effective. The first is the stereotypical character who also embodies qualities that seem contrary to the stereotypical traits. For example, Sherlock Holmes is the stereotype of the rational, scientific investigator, the supreme man of reason. Yet, at the same time, his character paradoxically incorporates basic qualities from a contrary stereotype, that of the dreamy romantic poet, for Holmes is also a man of intuition, a dreamer, and a drug taker, who spends hours fiddling aimlessly on his violin. This combination of opposing stereotypical traits is one of the things that made Holmes such a striking literary character. A similarly paradoxical mixture marks the portrayals of some of the great western stars. Gary Cooper, for example, is typically a man of violence, enormously skilled with guns and fists and faster on the draw than anyone else; yet he also plays a character of great shyness and gentleness. Because Cooper so effectively embodied these stereotypical opposites in his manner and physical presence, he became perhaps the greatest of western stars” (11).
August 9, 2023
This book was pretty good IMHO for being a scholarly analytical sort of work. I had to take it in smaller chunks than I normally do, shifting my reading speed down, as it’s a very dense book. The chapters are also very long (9 chapters in an over 300-page book). Overall, if you’re really interested in digging deeper into the roots and social value of the adventure, mystery, and romance genres, especially detective fiction and the Western, then this is the book for you; with the previously mentioned caveats of course. If you’re not in for an extended, involved read, then you might want to stay away.
October 25, 2022
Brilliant book - I bought this book already when I wrote my thesis on sexual politics in the Modesty Blaise novels (in 1990), and I have kept it ever since. It still earns its space on my shelves of reference books (and I use / rearrange my bookshelves several times a year). Some books have to go – but this book remains a firm and relevant favorite.
NB: Very little was written on my favorite academic subjects in the late 1980's – early 1990's.
NB: Very little was written on my favorite academic subjects in the late 1980's – early 1990's.
December 5, 2019
Another great monograph by Cawelti, I like his writing, very easy to understand for non-native speakers in my humble opinion.
February 3, 2020
Despite the title, concentrates on formulas concerning crime, westerns, and melodramas. Some interesting stuff.
April 4, 2020
An excellent breakdown and study of genre fiction and why it's so popular with readers. One of the only books out there that recognises the value of formulaic fiction.
October 29, 2025
A classic study of genre fiction. Some great insights on detective fiction.
September 20, 2025
Cawelti makes academic writing accessible with a touch of nerd. It's good stuff if you like to think about adventure, mystery or romance as genres and who doesn't?
February 15, 2013
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.
"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.
April 5, 2013
This book is comprehensive (and comprehensible) and convincing. Cawelti argues that “formula” fiction, far from being a lower grade of art than the “literary” novel is in fact a form that requires of its authors certain abilities that are unique to it: an artistry of convention, an artistry of the moment, and an artistry of cultural myth-making. He examines five modes of formula fiction: the gangster novel, the classic detective novel, the hard-boiled detective novel, the western, and the social melodrama.
In his discussion of each of these forms, Cawelti carefully outlines the conventions required and demonstrates with one or two authors the ways in which they mold the formula to meet whatever end they have in mind. Cawelti also offers sociological and psychological possibilities for why the form became popular, but this is not the strongest point of the book. The real strength is the meticulousness and seriousness with which Cawelti engages with forms of fiction that have historically been regarded as lower in status than properly literary fiction.
This book is—let us not mince words—a masterpiece and deserves to be read by anyone who is interested in formula fiction (or by anyone who wonders how someone could be interested in formula fiction).
In his discussion of each of these forms, Cawelti carefully outlines the conventions required and demonstrates with one or two authors the ways in which they mold the formula to meet whatever end they have in mind. Cawelti also offers sociological and psychological possibilities for why the form became popular, but this is not the strongest point of the book. The real strength is the meticulousness and seriousness with which Cawelti engages with forms of fiction that have historically been regarded as lower in status than properly literary fiction.
This book is—let us not mince words—a masterpiece and deserves to be read by anyone who is interested in formula fiction (or by anyone who wonders how someone could be interested in formula fiction).
March 14, 2009
This is quite a useful analysis of formulaic literary genres. However, I made the mistake of having my senior English class read part of the chapter on formulaic literature without having read the whole thing myself, and I later realized it had a VERY graphic description of pornography, albeit in service of making a very relevant point about how people misunderstand formula in literature.
May 18, 2011
It's fascinating to read Cawelti's dissection of crime and mystery, and adventure. He traces the evolution of the detective story from Poe's 'The Purloined letter through to the early 1970's (the book was first published in 1976) and makes fascinating what could be as dry as dust.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews