  Drama
This week: Holding Out For A (Wealthy) Hero Edited by: NaNoKit  
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Romance novels are full of wish fulfillment. Unrealistic as the story and characters may be, though, they do have a certain appeal.
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about trends in romance.
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I admit it – I quite like to read romance novels. For my studies I have to read philosophical works, so it's nice to curl up in bed and read something more uplifting for an hour or two. I like to read about people falling in love, overcoming the odds and having a happy ending. Yes, it's predictable and no, a lot of the books I read won't ever be classed as great literature, but there are times when, for me at least, only a romantic read does the job.
There are clear trends in romantic novels. The most obvious one is the structure – woman and man meet, fall in love, but then something bad happens. Will they get back together? Of course. They have to have their happily ever after. I'm fine with this structure, predictable as it is. Romance novels have to have a touch of drama, and every good novel contains some character development. With the focus being on the relationship, that's where it all takes place. And as long as the author is original in his or her approach, I won't complain.
There are a couple more recent trends that annoy me a bit. First of all, why is so much importance placed on fashion and designer labels? I can understand their purpose in Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic novels – the main character, Rebecca, has a shopping problem, after all, and her love of fashion and designer labels plays a key part in both the problems she faces and the solutions to them. In other novels by different authors, though, the main characters' love for ridiculously expensive clothes, shoes and handbags simply appears to be a given. It makes me wonder why this is the case. Do the authors think that their target audience can relate to spending hundreds of dollars on a pair of shoes that they'll probably only wear once? Is it something we should aspire to? I can't be the only woman in the world who only has two pairs of shoes – one pair of trainers and one pair of walking boots. I can't be the only one who doesn't have a handbag, nor any interest in designer labels...
Perhaps I am an oddity, but even so, the female characters don't tend to be wealthy. They're supposed to be average women who you can relate to. Are all average women meant to have money problems and credit card debts? Should our purpose in life be to "catch" a wealthy man to fund our shopping habits?
That leads me to the second trend – our average woman has to meet some well-off guy. Somehow, the male character is never a bin man, or a warehouse worker, or, shock horror, unemployed. There may be the odd struggling artist, because artists are seen as interesting, but he'll get his break sooner or later. The latest craze appears to be a reflection of girly teenage fantasy – the female character meets a celebrity, and he falls in love with her. Her life gets thrown upside down, as she walks the red carpet and mingles with the stars.
I remember the days when I had a crush on Donnie Wahlberg from New Kids on the Block (please, don't judge me). Like so many other girls I fantasized about going to a concert, and our eyes would meet. I would be invited backstage, and we'd click... It was never, ever going to happen, of course, but in my defense, I was about 15 years old.
I don't blame authors who tap into this kind of wish fulfillment. I can imagine that writing a woman-meets-celebrity/billionaire story is excellent fun, and there is obviously a market for it. Nobody is forcing me to read such novels, and indeed, I can't see myself purchasing another, but I won't judge people who do, and will.
Still, I can't help but think that it's a bit of a throwback to the idea that what a woman truly longs for is someone wealthy and powerful to whisk her away from her ordinary life. What does it say about the authors and readers of these novels that their chosen form of escapism is, well, this? What does it say about me?
It's not something I like to analyze too closely, if I am perfectly honest. I don't find my life lacking on the romance front, and I certainly don't dream about being in the spotlight (I'd hate it). I don't want to marry an international superstar, nor do I yearn for expensive gifts. Yet I still like romance novels. And I wouldn't mind writing one, one day.
Do you have the answer, dear reader? If you like to read romance novels/chick-lit, what is it about the genre that attracts you?
kittiara
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The Drama Newsletter Team
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Drama: February 12, 2014 Issue [#6159]
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