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ARTICLE Why People Read Romance by Candace E. Salima
The reason the romance genre appeals to so many people is simple. There is a formula in romance, nicely outlined by Jennie Hansen: "Basically a "romance novel" is one where girl meets boy and some obstacle gets in the way of the natural progression of their relationship (which must be resolved before they can confess their feelings for each other). Once the crisis is dealt with, a permanent commitment is established. Usually a hot-topic social issue enters into the equation, and the reader becomes emotionally involved in the situation depicted, which is played to elicit maximum empathy. This is an over-simplification, but is the general format." (http://www.meridianmagazine.com/books/050209romance.html) But the key, the thing that brings hundreds of millions of people across the world to the libraries and stores to obtain copies of a varieyt of romances and their sub-genres is this one simple fact: in a romance the ending must be happy. It is formulaic but it works and speaks to the human psyche. Regardless of what happens in the book, if it is to be clearly identified as a romance, the couple must have overcome the obstacles in their path, whether emotional, psychological or physical (often all three), and have made a commitment by the end of the book. In a world so torn with war and terror; in a world where bankruptcies and foreclosures are climbing to epidemic portions and beyond; in a world where life can beat you down, press you down or make you feel like society is a lost cause--there are few hours of enjoyment for those who read romances. Diving into the pages where heroes always triumph, where the bad guys are always caught and caged, where women are strong, capable and tough but uniquely feminine . . . those who read romance free themselves briefly from the chaos of a world being fought over between the forces of good and evil. In past decades, the couple had to have made a commitment to marry, or to be married at the end of the book. Now, they simply have to had made a commitment to one another. Although these relationships are now being spread across more than one book. Jayne Ann Krentz (also published as Amanda Quick, Jayne Castle, Stephanie James) stepped away from her normal standard of a committed relationship at the end in "Don't Look Back" and didn't have a firm emotional commitment between the main characters until "Late for the Wedding." While the couple indulged in intimacies, they were not emotionally committed to one another, in that they verbalized their emotions. While I believe that to be backwards, it is a standard which is creeping into the romance genre. Nevertheless, there is a sense of completion--of happiness at the end of a romance novel. This is why they are so popular. Within the sub-genre of Christian Romance, which the LDS Publishers (Spring Creek Book Co., Deseret Book, Covenant Communications, Cedar Fort, to name a few) have clearly launched a successful parallel line. The standard of writing is increasing on a yearly basis and many authors such as Rachel Ann Nunes, Julie Wright, Michele Ashman Bell, Julie Coulter Bellon (don't forget me) and many others, have firmly established themselves in the LDS Romance market. These lines of romance offer the reader marvelous stories free of the sex, profanity and morals opposite our own so prevalent in the world of fiction today. There are light romances, relationship romances, romantic suspense (my favorite) . . . whatever the genre or subgenre, it is a force to be reckoned with, no doubt. It consistently sells more than any other genre, worldwide, every year. Depending on the author, romances do indeed have plenty of meat to them. But is is the substantial kind, or the fantastical kind (if the book is based in Celtic Gods or magic), with plenty of raw emotion, real obstacles and danger that appeal to me. I, myself, do not much care for light romance unless it is in written in a humorous manner. But romance goes across the board from light to heavy in story structure appealing to every woman's heart across the globe. Different authors speak to different people as do different styles. I have my favorites and rarely, unless it is highly recommended, purchase authors I don't know. That is, unless I have a little free time, which is rare, I need a book and none of my favorites are releasing a book that month. Then, and only then, will I look for a new author. Many new authors have been introduced into my life by sheer desperation as I stand in an over-priced bookstore with the halls of airports across this nation. Some I keep and some I throw into the garbage as I leave the airplane. Reading is one of my hobbies. I own thousands of books and, in fact, have an actual room in my house designated as a library. My husband, Alvin, very kindly built shelves, put in a desk, and I write every day surrounded by books, wall-to-ceiling, in nice wooden shelves. The books in my library range from biographical, autobiographical, reference, religious, historical, suspense, romantic suspense, romance, western, fantasy, science fiction, modern fiction, children's . . . if the story is good and the writing is even better, then I'm going to buy the book. And yes, I read books over and over and am constantly buying new ones. Now that I write books, promote books, and speak across the nation my reading time is limited to airplanes, airports and the quiet hours of an early Saturday morning and a Sunday afternoon. I don't read two books a day anymore and count myself very blessed that I am able to read when I can. I do have a full life. I adore my husband, am often remodeling my home, enjoy movies, socializing, football, basketball and in the summer, don't get me started. Swimming, BBQs in the park, gardening . . . all of it. But if I was able to choose every day what I would want to do, if everything else in the world was done, it would be to read, read, read.
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