The Most Popular Book Trope, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the book trope you think is the most popular!
Updated on May 3, 2024 06:31
When readers plunge into the pages of a novel, certain patterns in storytelling often capture their interest more than others. These patterns, or tropes, can deeply influence a reader's engagement and enjoyment. Understanding which tropes resonate most can help authors and publishers tailor their content to meet audience expectations and preferences.
By participating in the ranking of these popular book tropes, users contribute to a broader understanding of literary tastes and trends. This communal input is essential as it guides not only future readers in their selections but also supports writers in crafting appealing narratives. Each vote helps in shaping a clearer picture of collective preferences.
What Is the Most Popular Book Trope?
-
112votesA common trope in romance novels, a love triangle involves a protagonist being torn between two love interests. This is a popular trope because it creates drama, tension, and leaves readers guessing until the end.A love triangle is a common book trope that involves a romantic relationship between three individuals. It typically features a protagonist who is torn between two love interests, leading to emotional conflict, tension, and difficult choices.
- 1: The protagonist is usually the central figure caught between two potential love interests.
- 2: The two love interests often possess contrasting traits or personalities, creating a sense of contrast in the protagonist's choice.
- 3: Emotional conflicts and tensions arise due to the protagonist's feelings for both love interests.
- 4: The love triangle trope often explores themes such as jealousy, betrayal, and personal growth.
- 5: Miscommunication or misunderstandings frequently occur, adding to the complexity of the relationships.
Love Triangle in other rankings- Position 2 of 10 in Most popular trope
-
243votesThis trope involves a protagonist transitioning from childhood to adulthood and facing challenges along the way. It is a popular trope because readers can relate to the struggles of growing up and finding their place in the world.Coming of Age is a popular book trope that focuses on the journey of a young protagonist transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. It explores their personal growth, self-discovery, and the challenges they face in finding their place in the world.
- Themes: Identity, growth, self-discovery, independence
- Protagonist: Usually a young person, often a teenager
- Setting: Often set in a school or community environment
- Challenges: Dealing with societal expectations, navigating relationships, facing personal obstacles
- Bildungsroman: Often associated with the Bildungsroman genre, focusing on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist
-
340votes
Hero's Journey
Joseph CampbellThis trope involves a protagonist going on a quest or adventure, facing obstacles, and ultimately becoming a hero. It is a popular trope because it has been used in many classic stories and resonates with readers.The Hero's Journey is a popular book trope that follows the narrative pattern of a hero embarking on an adventure, facing challenges, and ultimately transforming and returning home.- Monomyth Structure: The Hero's Journey follows a specific structure consisting of various stages and archetypes.
- Call to Adventure: The hero is called to leave their ordinary world and begin their journey.
- Supernatural Aid: The hero receives assistance or guidance from a mentor or supernatural entity.
- Crossing the Threshold: The hero transitions from their ordinary world to the unknown or supernatural realm.
- Trials and Tests: The hero faces challenges and overcomes obstacles during their journey.
-
428votes
Forbidden Love
William ShakespeareThis trope involves a romance between two characters who are forbidden to be together, often due to societal or cultural norms. It is a popular trope because it creates tension and drama, and readers root for the couple to overcome the obstacles in their way.Forbidden Love is a popular book trope that revolves around a romantic relationship between two characters who face significant obstacles or societal constraints that prevent them from being together. The forbidden nature of their love adds tension and emotional complexity to the storyline, creating a compelling narrative.- Origin: Originally introduced in Shakespeare's plays such as Romeo and Juliet and Othello.
- Societal Constraints: The main characters are often bound by societal norms, cultural differences, or class divisions that prohibit their union.
- External Opposition: There is often a strong external force, such as disapproving parents, rival families, or oppressive regimes, that actively opposes the relationship.
- Emotional Conflict: The forbidden nature of their love creates emotional conflict within the characters, leading to internal struggles and difficult choices.
- Tragic Consequences: Many narratives involving forbidden love result in tragic outcomes, including heartbreak, separation, or even death.
-
527votesThis trope involves a world where society has collapsed, and the characters must survive in a harsh, often oppressive environment. It is a popular trope because it allows authors to explore societal issues and raises questions about the nature of humanity.Dystopia is a subgenre of speculative fiction that presents an imagined society or world characterized by oppressive governments, environmental devastation, and societal decay. Dystopian novels often depict a bleak future where individuals struggle against totalitarian regimes and face harsh living conditions. These stories serve as cautionary tales and explore themes of societal control, loss of freedom, and the consequences of unchecked power.
- Central Themes: Oppression, totalitarianism, loss of freedom, environmental catastrophe, societal decay
- Protagonist: Often an individual or a group of individuals who challenge the oppressive system
- Setting: Futuristic or alternate versions of society
- Government: Authoritarian regime, surveillance state, or oppressive social hierarchy
- Technology: Advanced and controlled by the ruling power, used for surveillance and manipulation
-
611votesThis trope involves a protagonist who starts out poor or disadvantaged and rises to success or wealth. It is a popular trope because it embodies the American Dream and gives readers hope that they too can overcome their circumstances.The 'Rags to Riches' trope refers to a narrative plot where the protagonist starts off in humble, impoverished circumstances and undergoes a journey of personal growth, overcoming various obstacles, and ultimately attaining wealth, success, or social status.
- Narrative Journey: The story typically follows the protagonist's journey from poverty to wealth and success.
- Personal Growth: The protagonist undergoes significant character development and learns valuable life lessons along the way.
- Obstacles and Challenges: The protagonist faces numerous obstacles, such as social barriers, conflicts, or hardships, that they must overcome.
- Acquisition of Wealth or Social Status: The story highlights the protagonist's rise in financial prosperity or attainment of a higher social standing.
- Transformation of Lifestyle: The protagonist experiences a dramatic change in their living conditions, transitioning from a life of poverty to one of luxury and comfort.
-
720votesThis trope involves a protagonist who is morally ambiguous or even evil. It is a popular trope because it allows authors to explore complex characters and subvert the traditional hero narrative.A Villain Protagonist is a narrative trope where the central character of a story is the primary antagonist or evil character. The story often focuses on their actions, motivations, and perspective, providing a unique and often morally ambiguous or perverse viewpoint for the audience to explore.
- 1: Characters with complex, multi-layered personalities
- 2: Exploration of the darker aspects of human nature
- 3: Blurring the lines between good and evil
- 4: Moral ambiguity and conflicting motivations
- 5: Challenge of traditional storytelling and protagonist archetypes
-
87votes
Oto Godfrey and Justin Morton · CC BY-SA 4.0This trope involves characters traveling through time, either forward or backward. It is a popular trope because it allows authors to explore different eras and gives readers the opportunity to imagine what it would be like to live in a different time period.Time Travel is a superpower that allows an individual to manipulate their perception of time, enabling them to travel to the past or future at will. With this ability, the user can revisit historical events, witness important moments, or even change the course of history.- Temporal Manipulation: The power to manipulate time and its flow.
- Chronological Awareness: The ability to have an innate understanding of the current timeline and its potential alterations.
- Temporal Immunity: Resistant or immune to changes in the timeline or alterations during time travel.
- Time Perception Alteration: Can alter the perception of time, making it seem faster or slower for themselves or others.
- Time Jumping: The capability to instantly transport oneself to a different point in time.
Time Travel in other rankings- Position 6 of 10 in Most beautiful superpower
-
912votesThis trope involves fantastical elements in an otherwise realistic setting. It is a popular trope because it allows authors to explore themes of spirituality, magic, and the unknown, while still grounding the story in reality.Magical realism is a literary genre that incorporates magical or supernatural elements into a realistic setting. It blurs the boundaries between reality and fantasy, often presenting extraordinary events as ordinary occurrences. The genre is characterized by its unique blending of the mundane and the extraordinary, creating a sense of wonder and mystery in everyday life.
- Blurred reality: Magical realism presents a reality where fantastical or magical elements coexist with the ordinary.
- Ordinary settings: It takes place in familiar and often mundane environments, such as small towns or villages.
- Magical elements: Magical or supernatural occurrences are presented as a normal part of everyday life.
- Surrealism: It often combines dream-like or surrealistic elements with realism.
- Symbolism: Symbols and metaphors are frequently used to convey deeper meanings and themes.
-
107votesThis trope involves characters with extraordinary abilities who use their powers to fight evil and save the world. It is a popular trope because it allows readers to imagine themselves as heroes and provides a sense of escapism from the mundane world.The 'Superheroes' book trope revolves around characters with extraordinary abilities who use their powers to fight against evil and protect the innocent. These individuals often have a dual identity, living as ordinary people while secretly taking on their heroic persona. They face both external threats and internal struggles, shaping their journey as heroes.
- Origin: Superheroes often gain their powers through genetic mutations, technological enhancements, alien origins, or supernatural means.
- Dual Identity: Superheroes often have a secret identity separate from their superhero persona, allowing them to maintain a normal life.
- Costumes: Superheroes are known for their distinctive costumes and symbols, often representative of their powers or thematic elements.
- Superhuman Abilities: Superheroes possess abilities beyond those of ordinary humans, such as super strength, flight, speed, invisibility, or telepathy.
- Weaknesses: Despite their powers, superheroes often have weaknesses that can be exploited, adding drama and tension to their stories.
Missing your favorite book trope?
Graphs
Discussion
Ranking factors for popular book trope
-
Frequency of occurrenceHow often the trope appears in books across different genres, authors, and time periods. A popular trope will likely be found in numerous works of fiction.
-
Cultural impactThe influence the trope has had on popular culture, literature, and readers. This can be seen through spin-offs, adaptations, discussions, and debates surrounding the trope.
-
Relevance to contemporary readersHow much the trope resonates with current audiences. A popular trope might be one that reflects the present concerns, values, or interests of readers.
-
TimelessnessThe ability of the trope to maintain its popularity and appeal over time. A popular trope might be one that continues to be engaging and relatable to readers across different generations.
-
VersatilityThe ease with which the trope can be adapted, modified, or subverted to suit different genres, storylines, or character arcs. A popular trope might be one that can be incorporated into various literary contexts.
-
Emotional impactThe extent to which the trope evokes strong emotions, attachments, or reactions from readers. A popular trope might be one that consistently elicits powerful responses from its audience.
-
Originality and freshnessAlthough tropes can be common and recurring, a popular one may still offer unique and intriguing variations that set it apart from others.
-
Recognition and awarenessA popular trope is one that is easily identifiable and widely known among readers, authors, and literary critics.
-
Influence on other worksThe extent to which the trope has inspired or been referenced in other books, movies, TV shows, or other forms of media.
-
Memorable and iconicA popular trope might be one that stands out as distinctive and memorable, to the point where it becomes a shorthand or reference point for certain themes, characters, or situations in literature.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular book trope. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or trope is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 2859 views
- 186 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each trope once every 24 hours. The rank of each trope is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular book trope
Book tropes are recurring themes or plot devices that are commonly found in literature. They can be used to create a sense of familiarity for readers, as well as to provide a framework for the story. One of the most popular book tropes is the "chosen one" trope, which involves a protagonist who is destined to save the world or accomplish a great task. Other popular book tropes include the "love triangle" trope, which involves a romantic relationship between three characters, and the "coming of age" trope, which involves a protagonist's journey from childhood to adulthood. With so many different book tropes to choose from, it's no wonder that readers continue to be drawn to these familiar themes and plot devices.
Explore other rankings
Check out some of the other recommended rankings on StrawPoll and make your voice heard.
