The Inner Narrator. How Brain Science Helps to Create Captivating Stories

We are defined by stories. They underlie our beliefs and convictions, characters and tastes. Thousands of years ago, the ability to weave captivating plots helped us settle across the planet, maintain connections, and conduct and erase boundaries between tribes. And recently, it has also led to writing books, making movies, and inventing virtual worlds.
But why do we love stories so much? The answer lies in the structure of our brain. With the help of the latest achievements in neuroscience, Will Storr explains the roots of Shakespeare's worldwide fame in evolution, what the power of "Citizen Kane" and "American Beauty" is, and what we can learn from ourselves. According to Storr, each person's life is a brilliant script, only it is not written by higher powers but by our brain, constantly filling what happens with meaning and purpose. "The Inner Narrator" overturns the understanding of literary mastery and screenwriting skills and shows how stories are born in our minds—and how authors of blockbusters and acclaimed literary masterpieces manipulate the deep layers of the subconscious.

Warning: spoilers! The book reveals the plots of "King Lear," "Hamlet," "The Road to Perdition," "Lolita," "Lawrence of Arabia," and others.