A couple of weeks ago on one of my loops my friend Cecelia Dowdy mentioned this blog. The blog is one of those supposedly positive articles about romance writing which winds up to be insulting anyway.
“You only have to read one. They are all the same.” Oh, yeah????
“These books are admittedly too simply written, too predictable and melodramatic, too one-dimensional even to ever be considered literature….” Excuse me?
“The sad thing is that the majority of romance novel readers are married women, women who, for whatever reason, get their fill of love and romance from the pages of pulp fiction rather than the arms of their husbands.” This is, of course, simply not true.
But the blog did spark a little discussion on our loop and led to this terrific spontaneous essay on romance novels by Kate Worth, aspiring Historical writer. Judging from this, Kate has a great future in this genre!
Kate agreed to let me post this here today. Give her a big welcome!!
Kate Worth:
I read the article in question and found it fascinating. I agree more than disagree with it. But it misses the point that romance novels are escapist romps, like going to the movies. So what if Romancing the Rake isn’t The Grapes of Wrath. Have you ever read that book? Depressing does not come close to describing the relentless slog toward misery. It went from bad to worse until I dreaded picking it up. I wanted to scream, “Rosasharn, hop out of that truck, girl, and hitch a ride back East!!!!” When I go to the movies, I like a happy ending. Is this shallow? Bourgeois? I don’t know. I saw Precious, a socially important piece of work without a doubt, but it left me depressed for days. That doesn’t take away from its artistic worth, but I was not happy to have paid good money to leave the theater in search of a razor blade. And I paid good money to feel that way! Sheesh! Call me shallow and buy me a ticket to Legally Blonde.
Conversely, romance novels are feel-good getaways from your real life of diapers and dinners and your wonderful husband who you adore despite his 42-inch waist and tendency to fall asleep in front of the TV. Mental funnel cakes and candy, and I mean that respectfully. I read them. In the end, the romance reader wants to feel good. If the hero dies of a brain aneurism, it’s not a romance novel. If the heroine goes insane and ends up alone in Bedlam contemplating her navel, it’s not a romance novel. The pay-off is a happily ever after. Are they marriage manuals? Could be, I guess. The hero always makes sure his lover reach nirvana… several times before he does! Yee-ha! Hand your husband a romance novel and hide the remote? Hmmm. Might work.
It is true that the modern heroine is more feisty, capable, intelligent, and strong (and every other I-am-woman-hear-me-roar adjective you can think of). HOWEVER, I think the pendulum has swung pretty far past center. I think part of the enduring appeal of historical romances is that the heroes are confined to chivalrous conduct, if not in the beginning, by the end of the book. Sure, they may be rakes, they may have strained the boundaries of acceptable sexual behavior in their misspent youths, but in the end they truly care for their women in an old-fashioned, hold the door, love and cherish only her, sort of way.
No matter how many new sub-genres emerge… buff, dark angels who descend from the heavens to shag you blind… sexy, well-hung, insatiable undead… or time-traveling satyrs, the old-fashioned cowboy/gentleman/knight/protector paradigm will always endure. Women know they will probably never meet a sexy shape shifter… but a handsome gentleman? They may not be thick on the ground… but it’s not altogether impossible.
Isn’t that great? I emailed back “I love this!!!”
What do you think? Do you read Romance for the Happily Ever After? Do you agree with Kate’s opinion on what is the appeal of the historical romance?
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But don’t forget my website contest!! I’ll announce the winner of the first prize here tomorrow. Enter now for prize 2.
Great response to an article written by someone who needs a bit more happy in their life. Oops. Is that snarky? Yep. I’m always amazed by critics who feel like they have to rain on someone else’s parade, simply because it isn’t theirs. I know my perspective is unusual, but the so-called “classics” are by and large works that glorify doom and gloom, ie, fictionalized news broadcasts. Romance novels are about goodness and love winning, every time, no matter what.
Why I read romance novels: I have spent most of my life living in hell because I didn’t understand how healthy relationships work. I’m not saying that romance novels are full of healthy relationships. Many of them are not. That being said, there are a lot of incredibly bright, intelligent, healthy women who are writing romance novels, sharing their perspective on how to create a healthy relationship with people who are flawed but willing to change, and making it fun in the process. I don’t need a book to tell me how awful the human condition can be; I know. I want to escape the nightmares for a while. I want the hope of love.
Judy, it always makes me sad when you mention that your life has been full of hurtful relationships. I’m happy, though, to know you are rising above that!
I do think that romance novels show healthy relationships between men and women. Not perfect by any means but working through their conflicts because they love one another. I could read about that forever!!!!
Romance novels are the best stress reliever ever. They make me happy.
Well put, Avery!!!!
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Oh, I absolutely loved that, Diane! Thanks for posting.
And the ignorance of people about romance is just stunning. Why don’t murder mysteries get shredded like this? After all, you know there will be a murder, the mystery will be solved and the bad guy brought to justice. They’re all the same, so why read one? Yes, it’s genre fiction and it has conventions we must honor. Just like all other genre fiction.
Again, great post!
Hi, Norah!!!!!!
It seems so obvious to us that the mystery genre shares all the same issues with romance….
I’m an eclectic reader and run the gamut from romance to sci-fi. I don’t mind if the plot is thick or thin. Multiple sub-plots? bring em on.
All I ask is a lively engaging voice and interesting characters. The best books are crafted by writers with the skill to make every world disappear, save the one they want to share.
Great Post -Kelly
Amen, Kelly!!!!!!
I think the bottom line is that romance doesn’t get much respect because it is mostly written and read by women. Reading romance is a good time, a fun romp – not unlike going to the movies or enjoying a football game. However, I do think part of the reason people pooh-pooh romance is because of the book covers. Few of them are restrained and understated, so people automatically assume what’s inside them shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Diana, it gets me so angry when women shred romance. It seems disloyal!
Kate wrote a great response. I will say I have to agree with what she had to say. Yes it is escape, but so what. Have you ever looked at the male equivalent of the category romances? Talk about escapism. They drip with testosterone and make James Bond look like a wimp. After a male patron who happened to be checking some of these books out, made a snide comment about trashy romances, I figured it was my duty to read some of those books and compare. Chapter 1, lone cowboy rides into town, is approached by saloon girl with a great pair of “melons”, and they head upstairs to enjoy each other’s company. Chapter 2, he of course is the best she has ever had. Bad guy bullies show up. Chapter 3, whole town and useless sheriff hide from bad guys. Chapter 4, he confronts them, they advise him to leave if he doesn’t like it. Chapter 5 to 11, he follows them to their compound where a dozen women plus children are being held and abused. He tries to get them to escape. He is captured, beaten to within an inch of his life and staked out in the sun. Women finally realize that Mr. Hero was trying to help them and they should be brave. They cut Mr Half Dead Hero loose and he single handedly takes out the dozen or so bad guys. Hero leads procession of women, children, and horses with dead bad guys back to town. Lectures sheriff to keep town safe. Chapter 12, Hero rides off into the sunset with “Melons” the saloon girl wistfully watching him leave, knowing she will never have it that good again.
Great literature, right. I can honestly say even the bad romances I have read weren’t that bad. Every one of the quotes at the beginning of your post could be applied to these books.
So men’s escapism tends to focus on the action and adventure. Women’s escapism centers on the relationships, sometimes with a bit of action and adventure thrown in. There are good books in both places and some real stinkers.
So for women escape is a man and a woman finding their happily ever after. For men, it is blowing things up and studdly prowess.. To each his own.
I will say that I was the only one of six employees at our library that read romance. The others read “real” books. I have to agree with Diana Quincy and it is something I have said many times. How can we expect the romances to be taken seriously whit the clinch covers and women (and men) tearing each other’s clothed off.
I should do a discussion on clinch covers. I do think they’ve been becoming less ridiculous lately, but I think they have their place.
They signal to the reader that this is a Romance – usually an Historic romance – They are intended to elicit the response,”Ooh, that looks like a good one!” and then the reader picks up the book.
So I don’t mind them. They are no less embarrassing than science fiction covers or some mystery covers or horror covers.
Librarypat, this is very funny. How telling that the prototype studly hero in your example of men’s fiction is a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” alpha male, while the typical hero in women’s fiction loves ‘em, and loves ‘em, and loves ‘em again. Much more emotionally satisfying.
I have a feeling that far more men secretly read romance novels than anyone suspects. Did you watch So You Think You Can Dance this past season? Young dancer Marko admitted to reading romances. I was pleasantly surprised by this. A young man getting his notions about how to please a woman from women’s fiction rather than moronic movies and MTV videos that depict females as a loose assemblages of body parts and orifices.
Art imitates life, so the saying goes. Too often men go for the “cocktail waitress in a Dolly Parton wig” (to quote Confederate Railroad) then complain because she doesn’t like to cook or clean and she’s out partying with her friends all night. Hello! Ever thought of dating a Mennonite? What men “want” and what they “want” are two very different things. (That’s confusing, but you know what I mean).
Regarding the clinch covers, I think you’re right. I’m not sure how a romance reader can tell if she’s purchased a book before, the covers have become so similar. There is another hidden drawback for authors. Ron Kovach, senior editor of The Writer, recently pointed out “for all of Barnes & Noble’s 700-plus stores, there is exactly one ‘literary fiction’ buyer.” I imagine those uninspired covers feed the perception that the books are “all the same” – not just for readers, but for this lonely literary fiction buyer who must find the diamonds in a mountain of rubble. I doubt he has time to read them all, so how does he choose between the 20 tatooed highlanders or 50 sheet-wrapped hotties? I wonder.
And thanks, Diane, for posting my comments. I got a huge kick out of it! You are very kind.
What a brilliant response, with the added heft of being funny as well as pointed. I loved this.
I read and write romance for lots of reasons but the main one is that I believe in the idea of ‘the one’ and I believe in love. Saying that doesn’t mean I live in a fairytale land, but that’s how most people react. Why can’t falling in love be ‘serious’ unless it’s also tragic? What is wrong with a happy ending – why must most literature have something awful at the end to be critically acclaimed? Is it because the vast majority of the male population still can’t admit to their feelings? Or because love and romance are still seens as female and therefore less important?
Okay, I’ll get off my soapbox now. Thanks for this Diane.
Hi Marguerite!!!!
(another Harlequin Historical/Mills & Boon Historical author)
I’m with you all the way on the happy ending!!! I like that sigh of happiness when the hero and heroine achieve the HEA. Nothing wrong with that!!!!
A good book is a good book “period.” Some people just aren’t secure in their own opinions/likes/dislikes so they have to put someone or something down to feel superior. Their loss.