Romance novels are now being included in literature courses because scholars and other academics are seeing that romance novels are not inferior to other works of literature. In many cases it was thought that the writing in romance novels was simplified for the reader so that they would not have to think very hard while reading and that thinking is changing as critics see that not only can the plots be very complex but that the writing is of a quality that can hold its own in an academic setting. This is also enabling readers to be more open about their love of the romance genre and that many do not feel that they need or should be embarrassed to express how much they enjoy reading romance novels, no matter the sub genre or subject matter.
Self-publishing has been huge in the evolution of romance novels as it has opened up the door for other sub genres to be explored that might not have been considered by traditional publishers or not published to the extent that self-publishing can, such as dark, taboo or m/m romances.
Not only is the romance genre continuing to evolve and change as time passes but it is losing the stigma that people held toward it and the readers who love romance. The genre and its readers are gaining the respect that readers of the other genres have. It also shows that romance novels are of a quality that deserves to be included with other literary genres.
References used in paper:
Dugger, J. M.
(2014). "I'm a Feminist, But..." Popular Romance in the Women's
Literature Classroom. Journal Of Popular Romance Studies, 4(2), 1.
Regis, Pamela.
2003. A Natural History of the Romance Novel. Philadelphia: University of
Pennsylvania Press.
Wyatt, N., Olson,
G., Ramsdell, K., Saricks, J., & Welch, L. (2007). Core Collections in
Genre Studies. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 47(2), 120-125.
Veros, V. V.
(2012). The Romance Reader and the Public Library. Australian Library Journal,
61(4), 298-306.
Holly,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your synopsis of the evolution of the Romance Genre. In your research, did you come across any mention of the link, if any, between fans of Romantic Comedy films and Romance readers? I don't think Romantic Comedy films hold the same stigma as Romance novels, but, I'm not exactly sure why. Do you have any insight on that aspect? From my readers' advisory experience with seniors, I have found a very loyal following in the Romantic Genre. I don't know if they are following the genre itself, or their favorite authors. Saricks notes that Romance authors are leaving the genre to write in other areas (Saricks 151). It will be interesting to watch this vibrant genre transition over the next few years.
Thank you.
Hi Holly!
ReplyDeleteFor my undergraduate Victorian Literature class, my professor read the Romance novel Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen. Sure, we read the "basics" (Tyron, Shelley, Keats, etc.), but I was so excited when he said we'd be reviewing Austen, as well. I agree with you that professors are choosing to cover Romance novels more often, and I can see why.
Did you happen upon the classic study by Radaway in your research? If you aren't familiar with her work, you can learn about it with these links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_the_Romance
ReplyDeletehttps://muse.jhu.edu/book/44052
I think its really interesting that you mention the role self-publishing has in romance as a genre, opening up new opportunities for writers. This is true for female writers in general. I imagine but have no evidence on hand, that most if not all readers and writers are female. Do you think this gender component of creators and audiences has anything to do with the low valuation of these books by the culture at large?