I believe that every serious writer should read romance novels once in a while. Not "romantic" novels, but Romance Novels of the Harlequin and Mills & Boone type (though many of the best and most successful in the genre these days are self-published). Yes, we literary purists turn our pointy noises up at them, dismissing them as trashy writing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, they are formulaic stories, but they are NOT BAD WRITING. How could they be bad? With tens of thousands of new romance novels published every month, there is only one way to stand out in the genre, or even be published: formulaic stories and slick, masterful prose. Going back to those tens of thousands published monthly, imagine the challenge of having to write about licking, sucking, fingering, clutching, and poking (or being poked) in an original way. Meanwhile, depending on which Harlequin imprint one is writing for, the story must be precisely 60,000 words (I've removed the protection on numerous e-books and done word counts, and they are always within 5 or 6 words of 60,000 in one series, 50,000 or 70,000 in others). The female lead is always brilliant, speaks in snark, and kind of a priss. The male lust interest is either a billionaire or a cowboy or a pirate, knee-weakeningly handsome, taciturn, and devoid of any personality. The dirty deed always happens between pages 85 and 87 (I'm not making this up, I've kept track). Meanwhile, every single word and sentence has to count, the prose is compact and confident, the story remains lightning-focused. This takes enormous skill and practice to achieve, find publication, and to win loyal readers. I challenge any "literary" writer to adhere to a precise outline and produce something unputdownable in exactly 60,000 words. Such strict limitations can bring out the greatest creativity in us. Try it once, and you'll gain enormous respect for the professionalism and, yes, the art, of authors who achieve this on a bimonthly basis. I repeat: every serious writer should read romance novels. As an occasional guilty pleasure, they beat literary novels about self-pitying drugged-out twenty-somethings every time.
Here is my Goodreads review of THE ITALIAN DUKE'S VIRGIN MISTRESS by Penny Jordan:
Another must-read for serious writers is Cowboy Novels. I don't mean the socially acceptable ones from Larry McMurtry (though those are great). I mean run-of-the mill westerns. They invariably offer lessons in how to transform settings and landscapes into characters, employing cinematic descriptions and metaphors. It's often the natural environment that is the antagonist, not some gun-slinging outlaw. How many ways are there to describe prairies and mountains and cattle drives? As with romance novels, good cowboy novels find outstanding ways to offer original and absorbing details.
THE COWBOY AND THE COSSACK by Clair Huffaker is a bit unusual, telling the story of American cowboys driving cattle into Siberia, but it's a gripping read and oh, those landscapes! Here's my Goodreads review:
I reread Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers every few years. It took till the fourth reading before I remembered whodunit before I got to the reveal because I was so caught up in the more important stuff that characters were discussing. Then recently, I read her translation of Song of Rolland and remembered all over again why I do love Sayers. Not a guilty pleasure exactly, though reading a novel every six years since I was twenty might squeak it through! [She did, after all, graduate from Oxford.]
Ooh what an exciting list! I love the concept of guilty pleasures. For me, it has to be a crime thriller. More specifically, Mary Higgins Clark. I just love the paradigmatic approach to it all. The clever, stylish, and successful heroine, who is invariably hot beyond words, the equally hot hero with cash to burn, and bustling NYC juxtaposed against the elegance of the Hamptons. There’s a real cosy vibe to it, and it’s what I gravitate towards on rainy days and long flights.
As usual, I have not read any of the books you introduced (except, naturally, maybe Gone Girl). How excited I am for the day that I can reply to your posts with familiarity!
I believe that every serious writer should read romance novels once in a while. Not "romantic" novels, but Romance Novels of the Harlequin and Mills & Boone type (though many of the best and most successful in the genre these days are self-published). Yes, we literary purists turn our pointy noises up at them, dismissing them as trashy writing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yes, they are formulaic stories, but they are NOT BAD WRITING. How could they be bad? With tens of thousands of new romance novels published every month, there is only one way to stand out in the genre, or even be published: formulaic stories and slick, masterful prose. Going back to those tens of thousands published monthly, imagine the challenge of having to write about licking, sucking, fingering, clutching, and poking (or being poked) in an original way. Meanwhile, depending on which Harlequin imprint one is writing for, the story must be precisely 60,000 words (I've removed the protection on numerous e-books and done word counts, and they are always within 5 or 6 words of 60,000 in one series, 50,000 or 70,000 in others). The female lead is always brilliant, speaks in snark, and kind of a priss. The male lust interest is either a billionaire or a cowboy or a pirate, knee-weakeningly handsome, taciturn, and devoid of any personality. The dirty deed always happens between pages 85 and 87 (I'm not making this up, I've kept track). Meanwhile, every single word and sentence has to count, the prose is compact and confident, the story remains lightning-focused. This takes enormous skill and practice to achieve, find publication, and to win loyal readers. I challenge any "literary" writer to adhere to a precise outline and produce something unputdownable in exactly 60,000 words. Such strict limitations can bring out the greatest creativity in us. Try it once, and you'll gain enormous respect for the professionalism and, yes, the art, of authors who achieve this on a bimonthly basis. I repeat: every serious writer should read romance novels. As an occasional guilty pleasure, they beat literary novels about self-pitying drugged-out twenty-somethings every time.
Here is my Goodreads review of THE ITALIAN DUKE'S VIRGIN MISTRESS by Penny Jordan:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1421768172
Another must-read for serious writers is Cowboy Novels. I don't mean the socially acceptable ones from Larry McMurtry (though those are great). I mean run-of-the mill westerns. They invariably offer lessons in how to transform settings and landscapes into characters, employing cinematic descriptions and metaphors. It's often the natural environment that is the antagonist, not some gun-slinging outlaw. How many ways are there to describe prairies and mountains and cattle drives? As with romance novels, good cowboy novels find outstanding ways to offer original and absorbing details.
THE COWBOY AND THE COSSACK by Clair Huffaker is a bit unusual, telling the story of American cowboys driving cattle into Siberia, but it's a gripping read and oh, those landscapes! Here's my Goodreads review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3665281859
Keep this up, David. I love your lists, and your commentary is brilliant!
Thank you, sir! And thanks for a great response. This is the kind of stuff I was hoping for when I began this adventure.
I reread Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers every few years. It took till the fourth reading before I remembered whodunit before I got to the reveal because I was so caught up in the more important stuff that characters were discussing. Then recently, I read her translation of Song of Rolland and remembered all over again why I do love Sayers. Not a guilty pleasure exactly, though reading a novel every six years since I was twenty might squeak it through! [She did, after all, graduate from Oxford.]
Never read her. I better get on it!
Ooh what an exciting list! I love the concept of guilty pleasures. For me, it has to be a crime thriller. More specifically, Mary Higgins Clark. I just love the paradigmatic approach to it all. The clever, stylish, and successful heroine, who is invariably hot beyond words, the equally hot hero with cash to burn, and bustling NYC juxtaposed against the elegance of the Hamptons. There’s a real cosy vibe to it, and it’s what I gravitate towards on rainy days and long flights.
As usual, I have not read any of the books you introduced (except, naturally, maybe Gone Girl). How excited I am for the day that I can reply to your posts with familiarity!