Hi,
I like romance novels. For a long time i waged an internal struggle over what i thought was my unhealthy appreciation for the genre. I am A feminist, at times almost militantly so. After a long time spent considering, i have come to believe that the romance novel genre, being written almost exclusively by women for women is almost like a running discussion concerning things such as gender, the balance between work/family, expectations , ect. I don't think the books themselves are creating the world we live in but are rather a way of working through ideas, like group therapy. I think this is evident in the change between romance novels today and in the past. New themes are introduced and i have encountered some very interesting gender dynamics in newer novels. And i think they will continue to change as does our society. I do admit that i come across some books that i have to put down. It is just too much. Other times i like to highlight certain stereotypes that are being portrayed, but i still like them. If you are interested in the topic, there is a lot of very interesting discussion being played out in Feminist circles that might be worth checking out. I think it is important to remember that women who are independent, intelligent, and self determined are often the same people producing in this genre! And at the core of my feminist beliefs is that women should be able to do what they freaking want to.
posted 2 months ago. ( reply )