Reading from experience
I was about to thrash yet another book for the whole "OMG you're beautiful." "Hey, so are you! Let's fall madly deeply eternally in love." but then I got to thinking. Are we, the readers, bound by situation? Do our personal lives reflect on how we experience a book? Of course they do. How often don't we hear people saying that they read to escape, read to experience adventures and so on and so forth.
My point is, I think the same applies to the 'romantical' aspect of a book. I'm not just talking about girls falling in love with Edward/Jacob, but how we actually react to a couple falling head over heels for each other.
Personally, I love a good love story - when it's executed right. However added to my rant on people who just happen to be stunningly good looking and also always happen to be the main characters who seem to fall in love for mainly that reason (though the authors will usually throw us a few extra carrots in the form of good manners or good with children etc), I can get really frustrated with some couples on paper. And I think, maybe that's because I'm single. I'm not a bitter old crone who hates happiness, I'm simply just not in love. And I think some authors actually describe the stages of teenagers in love pretty well, but because I'm neither, I don't get it. I don't have butterflies and tingling sensations of my own at the moment, and thusly it feels off reading about it, like it's way overdone. And sure sometimes it definitely is, but I think, other times it's actually pretty accurate, it's just reviewed by single people, who can't properly put themselves in the characters shoes.
It's something to think about.
My point is, I think the same applies to the 'romantical' aspect of a book. I'm not just talking about girls falling in love with Edward/Jacob, but how we actually react to a couple falling head over heels for each other.
Personally, I love a good love story - when it's executed right. However added to my rant on people who just happen to be stunningly good looking and also always happen to be the main characters who seem to fall in love for mainly that reason (though the authors will usually throw us a few extra carrots in the form of good manners or good with children etc), I can get really frustrated with some couples on paper. And I think, maybe that's because I'm single. I'm not a bitter old crone who hates happiness, I'm simply just not in love. And I think some authors actually describe the stages of teenagers in love pretty well, but because I'm neither, I don't get it. I don't have butterflies and tingling sensations of my own at the moment, and thusly it feels off reading about it, like it's way overdone. And sure sometimes it definitely is, but I think, other times it's actually pretty accurate, it's just reviewed by single people, who can't properly put themselves in the characters shoes.
It's something to think about.
Well, I am in love but I still think that authors can get it wrong a lot of the time. The butterfly feelings are important but it's rare that I read about real, proper love and not just attraction.
SvarSlet@Sam, you totally nailed it there, I think. They describe attraction rather than love. There's a big difference to being in love with someone and knowing that you want to be with them for the rest of eternity because of actual love.
SvarSletI'm suffering from insta-love fatigue at the moment as well. Especially the kind that is motivated by how gorgeous the two lovers are and that's about it. I've been with my husband for 12 years so I am in love and I can tell you now, even those of use who are on the other side of the fence scream bloody murder when we read this kind of thing. I hate it even worse when the author tries to explain the instant love on fate or some other drivel when clearly it's because the two lovers are so pretty. Urgh! Great post!
SvarSletCurrently in love or not, book love that's that superficial is *still* annoying. It's not just you!
SvarSlet