As any student of English literature knows, a life without reading Frye is a life with eyes closed to a multitude of possibilities. References to Frye drove me to him; Why else would the world of critical analysis place him in such high esteem by quoting him if not for his ability to make sense of literature? But for all his ability to codify and characterize modes, symbols, myths, and genres, his text seems calls upon the scientific efforts of new criticism. This seems particularly ironic since Frye often demurs the new critical effort. His call for a universal criticism also seems farfetched, primarily because a multiplicity of individual approaches prevents a singular opinion from emerging. However, for the most part, Frye's work both stuns and astounds, forcing the reader not only to understand literature in terms of proto-generic forms, but also to pursue Frye's conjectures into the realms of literature beyond his 1957 publication date. An extensive reading list (from the Greeks to the early twentieth century) assists Frye in his pursuit of the illusive patterns of literature, as well as an encyclopedic concern for definitive examples. Previous definitions of generic categories fall victim to Frye's ruthless pursuit of new possibilities, splitting drama and poetry into more easily digestible shards of subtlety. Frye's use of archetypes proves particularly fruitful, infusing the every-day (or perhaps modern-day) interpretations of lifeless texts with an alternative possibility of generative renewal for the observant, critical thinker. All in all, Frye's text proves well worth the time and effort.