“How many stories are there to tell in the world?

One school of thought holds that there are just 10 archetypal tales around which novelists spin more or less elegant variations. I remember being persuaded, years ago, that there were as few as seven basic plots at the heart of our literature, or was it three?

Cinderella (rags to riches) is certainly one. The Odyssey (the hero’s return home) is another. That was recently the inspiration for Charles Frazier’s bestselling Cold Mountain. And the plot of Beowulf is the same as the plot of Jaws (a monster terrorises a seaside community and is eventually overcome by a local hero). I could go on: no doubt well-informed Observer readers will think of others. Did somebody mention Jung?” Guardian/UK