In defense of Love
When we think of romance as a genre, we have a rosy picture of a hero and heroine, falling in love and sticking it through regardless of all the obstacles in their way and coming out better at the end. Then they lived ‘Happily Ever After’(or they have a HEA if you are one of those romance aficionados).
Romance novels have garnered a reputation in the past few decades. Besides being formulaic with its plot, it’s known for its poor quality of writing. It is common to have criticisms like ‘trashy romance books’ and ‘cliche romance plots’ levelled against it. When one book has a breakthrough in the massive romance market for a ‘unique’ plot, don’t be surprised to see dozens of books a few months later replicating the plotline. Since the digital age, with Amazon’s Kindle and other online platforms, books are cheaper to publish, and now any literate person with an imagination can write a book. That means your next-door neighbor could decide to cash in on the huge audience for the genre.
How about the more damaging criticism of romance books, for publishing books that portray toxic and unhealthy relationships to the impressionable youth? The novels will depict verbal abuse, gaslighting, and manipulation; directly or implied. Since there is no one stopping minors from picking these up from the shelves, they look at these relationships through rose-colored glasses. Not to mention, the cult following that popular authors have. Some fans will fight tooth and nail to defend their favorite authors to the point where they are unable to take constructive criticism. Even if these novels might have poor structure, writing, and problematic elements, these fans will bring hell down on the critics. Expect a hate train followed by threats of violence and death.
However, romance wasn’t always this way. Romance has a rich history dating back to Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Greece where poems and myths of love were popular. Some people argue the first romance novels were written by the French in the 17th century. The word ‘roman’ means novel in French so talking about the history of romance novels is like talking about the history of publications. The first romance book was, probably, Samuel Richardson’s Pamela — or Virtue Rewarded which was published in 1740. The Pamela of the title is Pamela Andrews, a fifteen-year-old servant, who has to deal with her employer’s improper and unwanted advances. Pamela resists him and, eventually, he proposes marriage to her. She accepts and eventually becomes an esteemed member of society.
The first bestselling paperback in the US was a romance novel called The Lost Heiress, by Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth. This led to a boom in the paperback industry. As most of the population became literate, the paperback was a cheap form of consuming content for the masses. One characteristic of this genre that sets it apart from the rest is the (mostly) guaranteed HEA. This promised no matter how heart-wrenching and tragic the book was, it would always be for the better. Our protagonists were put to the test and came out better in the end. Now, as their hardships have ended, they can sit back and enjoy the fruits of their labor.
As the readers, we were fed this illusion that we would get our happily ever after, and even if we were down in the dumps we could escape it with this flowery fantasy. Most married women who were stuck in a monotonous life with their children and household, and only idle gossip to entertain them found a new reality in these books. The working women who wanted an easy read in their busy lives now had scores of novels to choose from. Women who were forbidden from having expectations and desires for love were now given the freedom to fantasize discreetly between the pages of their books. Romance books are intentionally ‘casual reads’. It’s for the tired readers, the burnt-out readers, the ones seeking joy, the ones who are stressed. Most romance novels might not be described as ‘gripping’, ‘had me on the edge of the seat’, or ‘has an intricate plot’ but they can be described as ‘heart-wrenching’, ‘heartwarming’, ‘humourous’, and ‘wholesome’. For most people, romance is healing and just what you need after a hard day. It may be cliche but there is comfort in its predictability.
The romance genre is rich with culture and diversity. There is regency romance with its in-depth depiction of lavish balls, witty banter, and whirlwind romance. Many African American authors have made a place for themselves in the genre. People can easily represent their community by writing about their culture centered around some of their characters. It’s easier than being represented through mainstream media. There is a place for everyone, whether you are of a different culture, race, religion, or sexuality or even if you like a certain trope.
The genre might be criticized for the surplus of subpar books being popular but that’s just because the market for this genre is huge. It makes up about a quarter of the industry if not more. There are bound to be so many mediocre books in a genre that’s not only for the avid readers but also for the common masses. Companies publish what the masses want so when we read responsibly and build a healthy community where we take honest feedback and hold authors accountable, we might get better quality.
Romance is an important cornerstone of our society and the publishing industry. It has empowered so many women and shaped our thoughts about love, relationships, gender roles, and culture. However, it has a long way to go to recover from its stained reputation. We, the readers, have to recognize it as more than just a ‘Happily Ever After’.
A piece by Diya Lijoy
