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The romance genre: Why do we love it so much? By Imogen Hollis
Read with caution: you may relate! We are all guilty of going back again and again to a book that comforts us, whatever the genre. Romance is a big business where writers successfully use escapism to entice the reader in. They use powerful descriptions, tension, passion and fantastic protagonists to enhance the narrative. Romance sweeps the reader up into a specific type of emotional roller-coaster of suspense, arousal and romantic desire. The reader falls in love with the narrative and the protagonists as they live vicariously in a ‘fantasy’ life. Successful romance writers are ‘sitting pretty’ as romance is a major industry with annual revenues that reach hundreds of thousands of pounds. So, what is it that compels women to be so susceptible to this particular genre? The romance genre is typically adored and cherished by women of all ages, whether it be literature or television, we seem to have a natural predisposition to it. Whatever your role model, the ‘bunny boiler’ in Fatal Attraction or the soft and innocent Sandy in Grease, we have a weakness for the tension and the mystery and the proximity of our favourite protagonists. There has been ‘romance’ for as long as we can remember. Although now disproved, for a long time we were led to believe that in prehistoric days we ladies were hit over the head and taken advantage of in a cave. Since the emergence of Darwin’s theory of sexual selection, scientists now believe that once our brains were big enough to produce the right hormones for desire and the much-needed parent-child bonds we still see today, we sought a ‘partner’; A partner that showed the characteristic to survive- strength. This partner needed to make us feel good enough to stay with long enough to start a family. Once the family was established, we were free to move onto another partner and have other children, the honeymoon period was over. Today, this is seen in many relationships once the first flush of desire is gone, we settle for a more comfortable relationship or even, another relationship. The behaviour of our caveman ancestors is still alive in us today but isn’t quite so easily replicated with today’s societal expectations. If we are not inclined to move on, could it be that romance gives us the escapist feelings that we are hard wired to expect. (BBC Earth The sinister reason why people fall in Love 2016). Although we are led to believe that romance through history has been about simpering heroines being domineered by the ‘hero’, it is not always true. Romantic heroines have often taken center stage and saved themselves and sometimes the hero too. They have been characters who have challenged societal values or changed the genre’s tropes. Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra depicts the Queen of Egypt as someone who had everything but she fell in love with a Roman General. Although it was love at first sight, Shakespeare depicts their relationship as volatile and as is often the case with his plays, their love story ends in tragedy. Readers love Cleopatra despite her faults, as she was witty, smart, independent and deeply charismatic.
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In the 1950’s and 60’s, heroines were moving to exotic locations and they had careers outside the home. Although these books had predictable plots and happy endings, as the feminist movement grew, the plots became as important as the romance itself with the heroine taking an active role in the stories.
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