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In honor of Valentine's weekend, let's talk about romantic literature. By that, I don't necessarily mean the modern romance genre, but books that you find particularly romantic.Feel free to explore any or all of these prompts:
Share any other thoughts you have about books and romance or love or eroticism.
- What literary couple is your favorite?
- How do you define romantic literature? Does it always involve sex? or the hint of sex?
- What author/s do you think writes romantic scenes particularly well?
- Do you have a favorite romantic scene in a book?
- Do you find you read romantic literature at certain times of the year?
- Tell us your favorite romantic quote.
- Do you have some favorite romantic poetry?
How odd. I was thinking only the other day that “Romancing the Tome” would make a good literary pun. And thinking about how much Obligatory Romantic Subplots in crime novels (or any other genre, for that matter) annoy me.
Okay, so I’m not the world’s biggest romantic. I can enjoy a good love story, but on the other hand ... watching Gone with the Wind made me alternately laugh and yawn. And the Twilight saga excerpt in Michelle’s response to this topic just made me laugh.
That being said, I admit I am a sucker for a great romantic gesture, something which requires time and thought and effort rather than money and says “I love you” more clearly than words could manage. (Oh my God. I can’t believe I just wrote that - the wannabe novelist championing actions over words?)
Darcy dashing off after Lydia and Wickham. Mr Knightley leaving his home so that Emma won’t have to leave her father. Even Heathcliff digging up Cathy, though she wasn’t able to appreciate the gesture. Words are easy to throw about, but deeds are more of a challenge and thus, to my mind, more valuable.
As an interesting corollary of this topic, I went and asked the hero and heroine of my novel-in-progress about what, in Chapter 34, they would think most romantic. And it turns out they have completely opposing ideas. Something else to be improved on the rewrite....
What literary couple is your favorite?
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy- without a shadow of doubt!
How do you define romantic literature? Does it always involve sex? or the hint of sex?
Romantic literature for me means having a strong, assertive female lead and a caring and strong male protagonist who come together without giving up any of their individuality (No Twilight for me, please!). A love that brings them together and the mutual respect and trust that keeps them together. Passion is of course a very desirable quality in romance. But a violent passion never ends well (ex. Withering Heights. Although the book does enthrall me you’ve got to admit it is in no way healthy what Heathcliff felt for Cathy). No, for me sex is not that essential. A hint of sex is o.k. though. (and yes I’m rather old fashioned. Sometimes I feel like an old woman stuck in a 20-something body!)
What author/s do you think writes romantic scenes particularly well?
Jane Austen (obviously!). Can’t think of anyone else at the moment.
Do you have a favorite romantic scene in a book?
From Pride and Prejudice when Mr. Darcy proposes marriage to Elizabeth and she spurns him. Oh, I totally understood how she felt but couldn’t help hoping that the two of them will eventually sort out their differences and get together.
Jay Gatsby's hopeless love makes him stand at the end of his garden and look towards Daisy's house far, far away. Sad but romantic.
Do you find you read romantic literature at certain times of the year?
Not really. I basically read whatever I could get my hands on. If it’s a romantic tale so be it.
Tell us your favorite romantic quote.
It’s not really a quote and I don’t know if it’s romantic but I love it anyway. It’s a part of the poem The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,
“We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
By sea-girls wreathed with seaweed red and brown
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.”
- The Love-Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
By T.S. Eliot
Do you have some favorite romantic poetry?
Tennyson is my favorite poet. His The Departure and Maud are two that come to my mind.
I forgot to mention in my previous post that the second favorite scene is from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Duh!).
ReplyDeleteGive me Mr Rochester and Jane Eyre anytime!
ReplyDeleteWeekly Geeks: Romancing the tome