Sentiment Dynamics of Success: Fractal Scaling of Story Arcs Predicts Reader Preferences

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearch

Abstract

We explore the correlation between the sentiment arcs of H. C. Andersen's fairy tales and their popularity, measured as their average score on the platform GoodReads. Specifically, we do not conceive a story's overall sentimental trend as predictive \textit{per se}, but we focus on its coherence and predictability over time as represented by the arc's Hurst exponent. We find that degrading Hurst values tend to imply degrading quality scores, while a Hurst exponent between .55 and .65 might indicate a ``sweet spot" for literary appreciation.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date14 Dec 2021
Publication statusPublished - 14 Dec 2021

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