About half of all novels sold are romance novels. Half.
Le whoa. Romance kicks buttock.
However, romance novels get no respect. Movies, popular songs and literature of almost any genre feature love and sex ubiquitously, and yet the one type of novel that focuses solely on love and sex is vilified.
I assume this is because half of all novels sold are romances - anytime you've got that kind of demand for product, a lot of garbage is going to wind up on the market. That tends to give everyone in the field a bad reputation.
I don't like romance novels, but that's not a reason for me to sneer at them. I also don't like horror novels. It's just a matter of taste.
Verily, I am at peace with the romance novel.
Verily, what really annoys me is all the stuff that isn't billed as romance, yet which is packed with gratuitous love and sex.
Every movie has to have a love interest; every song has to feature the word "baby". The vast majority of people I deal with in life will never wind up in my bed, so why does romance have to be inserted into all my art? Why does sex have to sell so well?
Yeah, yeah; because of that biological imperative stuff. I know.
I'm not actually allergic to love stories at all; it's just there's too many of them around. I want to read/hear/watch art that deals with all the other amazing stuff human beings do, also. Love and sex have their place, but holy Hugo Weaving - ban the love song! I want to find out what else the lyricists have to talk about!
Do you adore romance? Erotica? Or do you disdain them? Either way, can you explain your love or hate?
And what do you wish there was more of in literature? What are you glad there's plenty of? What's your guilty pleasure?
