Researchers say nearly all books follow one of these six emotional arcs

Ever thought two books felt nearly identical? Researchers from University of Vermont mapped the sentimental fluctuations of over 1,700 books. By tracing the emotional changes in the stories, they noticed an overall arc for each novel. Each novel can have its unique complex plots and structures, but the emotional journey slots specific stories into these categories, the researchers indicate. This is easy to see: Typically, most superheroes will fall in the "Man in a hole" category while villains will follow the opposite trajectory, much like the "Icarus" scenario, regardless of their plots.