What is a literary genre? What are tropes? What genre does a creaky door suggest? Or a man and a woman stuck in an elevator? When should you use tropes? When should you avoid them? In this concise little book, educator Amy Jones outlines the archetypal genres of the literary world, illuminating them with classic examples and a garnish of tropes. If you ever wanted to explore the well-trodden ruts and cliches of literary life then this book is for you.