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Every book Will Storr recommended on podcasts
Across 4 podcasts. Every show Will Storr appears on, in one place — not just one.
Will Storr’s most recommended books
- The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker
- Michelle Remembers by Michelle Smith
- The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
- 1984 by George Orwell
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
- Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Will Storr appears on interview podcasts such as The Diary Of A CEO, Modern Wisdom, and How I Write, where he speaks as an expert on the mechanics of storytelling, narrative structures, and human psychology. Across these appearances, he references several foundational works of literature and critical theory to dissect how stories operate. Storr frequently highlights Christopher Booker's The Seven Basic Plots, citing it to discuss archetypal characters, the ancient roots of plot structures, and the qualities of heroes in storytelling. He also examines classic literary works and plays to illustrate character motivations and what he terms a character's 'theory of control.' Among these, he discusses Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol in relation to greed and selfishness, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman to highlight an obsession with worldly success, and Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day as a study in complex literary characterization. Additionally, he touches upon George Orwell's 1984 through the lens of iconic advertising history.
Books recommended by Will Storr
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The Seven Basic Plots
The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker is a comprehensive literary analysis that explores archetypal characters, ancient story structures, and the fundamental patterns underlying human storytelling.
Discussed“This guy called Christopher Booker who's who wrote an epic book called the seven basic plots. Um and he defined the heroes having these four qualities”
Where to get it
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Michelle Remembers
Michelle Remembers by Michelle Smith and Lawrence Pazder is a controversial 1980 book that chronicles alleged satanic ritual abuse recovered through psychiatric therapy and helped spark the widespread satanic panic.
Discussed“Michelle remembers the discredited 1980s book written by Canadian psychiatrist Lawrence P”
Where to get it
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The Remains of the Day
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro is a masterclass in psychological fiction, following an aging English butler named Stevens as he reflects on his career of dedicated service and his unrequited love amid the shifting political landscape of post-World War II Britain.
Discussed“And so in the science of storytelling, the book I've written about all this, I I I I go in detail at the book The Remains of the Day by Kazu Ishiguru, you know, hugely respected literary author.”
Where to get it
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1984
1984 by George Orwell is a classic dystopian novel depicting a totalitarian regime characterized by extreme surveillance, historical denial, and psychological manipulation.
Discussed“So, so, so, so yeah, in a stories a deal, I tell the story of um, well, I sort of pose a question really like about like um, one of the most famous ads that was ever made was Apple's 1984 ad which which which kind of played on the George Orwells novel and showed um, and showed this um,”
Where to get it
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A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a famous 1843 novella about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and his midnight visitations by ghostly specters that transform his life.
Discussed“So, if you think about um Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, I'm only safe if I have keep all the money and love to myself. That's that's his theory of control.”
Where to get it
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Death of a Salesman
Death of a Salesman is a classic 1949 stage play by Arthur Miller that explores the tragic dissolution of a traveling salesman named Willy Loman amidst the harsh realities of the American Dream.
Discussed“Um Willie Lman in the death of a salesman is something about um success is all that matters. You know, success in the world. that's all that matters. so, so he's he's he's obsessed with the idea of success both for for him and his sons.”
Where to get it
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Selfie
Selfie by Will Storr examines the cultural and psychological obsession with individual self-esteem, social status, and personal perfection.
Discussed“and when I was doing my research for my book selfie I was sort of because I was interested to know like if you change the rules of the the status game do we change as a as a as a culture”
Where to get it
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The Status Game
The Status Game by Will Storr is a sociological and psychological exploration of how the human drive for social rank, prestige, and acceptance influences nearly every aspect of human behavior, interaction, and societal structure.
Discussed“coined i read about it and read the phrase in sarah jane blakemore's um book um and you know she talks about this idea”
Where to get it
Books Will Storr wrote
Appearances
Other mentions (13: passing, ad reads, own books)
“And and what you know and as I write about in a story is a deal. I think the big the big idea that kind of made me excited about this book was this idea that you know what is story originally for?”
“And and what you know and as I write about in a story is a deal. I think the big the big idea that kind of made me excited about this book was this idea that you know what is story originally for?”
“So, so, so, so yeah, in a stories a deal, I tell the story of um, well, I sort of pose a question really like about like um, one of the most famous ads that was ever made was Apple's 1984 ad”
“And you've got a book. Oh, yeah. My book, A Story Is Deal. I get in trouble. I get told off. Yeah. Story is a deal.”
“And so in the science of storytelling, the book I've written about all this, I I I I go in detail at the book The Remains of the Day by Kazu Ishiguru, you know, hugely respected literary author.”
“um and when I was doing my research for my book selfie I was sort of because I was interested to know”
“my you know my my second book the heretics was looking at why do otherwise smart people believe end up leaving these crazy things”
“so the book before that was called the heretics and the heretics was as it says before it was kind of inspired by this idea of what how do smart people end up believing crazy things”
“yeah i mean in the book i describe it as the original currency you know before that”
“well i mean i i would say so you know i i i mean one of the things i write about in my my book selfie um which which was a few years ago now”
“so i i didn't write the message in the stages game but in my you know journalistic life a few years ago i did a story on crossfit”
“this was a big lesson i learned again when i was researching selfie and that was all about you know the the kind of the the narcissism of social media”
“so that's why the book is called the status game”