I’m a sucker for the Romance novels; both the trashy completely pointless ones, and the ones that teach you a lesson and make an impression. As this chapter indicates one of the true marks of a romance novel is that it leaves you feeling like there is a glimmer of hope for the main characters at the end. Perhaps that is the reason that I am so compelled to read books in series such as the book that I read this week, Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies because there is a hope at the end of the book that compels the reader to pick up the next book to see how Tally rises up against the Specials. Or, the Twilight series, where girls hope that a boy will love her as passionately and deeply as Edward loves Bella. It is no wonder that romance novels of all kinds are such successful sellers, kids, teens, and adults need to hold onto the hope that happy endings in life are real and achievable. From Cinderella being crowned the queen to the unlovable protagonist who falls in love with the hard hearted hero in the adult novel, people need to feel the hope that is conveyed through the written word in a romance novel.
This particular chapter dives deeper into the characteristics and types of romance novels, such as adventure/accomplishment romance. The type of romance novel where the happy ending comes from the protagonist surviving something and earning a great deal of wisdom and knowledge from it, ending the book with the hope that the knowledge he or she gained will be carried with him or her through life. Many of the symbols of accomplishment come from physical things that young adults can relate to, like sports. So many of the novels mentioned in this section deal with the physical prowess of athletes, both fictional and non-fictional. That is another beautiful thing about the romance novel; it does not have to be rooted only in fiction. There are true life stories of people who have overcome adverse situations and ended up on the better side of life.
I adored the definition in the book given about the love romance – “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back.” Who, especially a female with a head full of romantic ideas and believes that chivalry is not dead (aka me) couldn’t get behind that definition? In reading some of the criticism of the love story romance novel I was surprised to see the problem that one critic had was that “we read these books to escape from reality, but end up frustrated because they are what we want reality to be.” Really?! Of course it is what we want reality to be!! Readers, including young adult readers, need to feel that sense of hope that the world and all boys or girls are not going to obliterate your heart like a garbage disposal. That is why the love story and the romance novels of all kind will continue to be a symbol of hope for all mankind!
From a teaching perspective, the romance novel is one that is easily integrated into the classroom curriculum. With multiple types of romances to choose from, adventure, accomplishment, western, and the love story – the stories of hope for young people are plenty. I have no fear that I will easily be able to work up multiple lesson plans on these novels and have students enjoy and engage in the books. Romance novels are what I originally fell in love with in literature, because as a teen I needed the sense of hope that he world would not crumble around me, though it felt that it would some days. I hope that if I can open up the world of these books to my students, they will find the same sense of peace that I did when I read them.
Pictures courtesy of Amazon.com and Love.Joy.Happiness Blog.
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