My parents taught me to read at a very young age.
My mother encouraged the classics, and the best sellers, my father was big
on Sci-Fi and old westerns, but both adored reference books. The very first
thing my father did when we moved into our old farmhouse was build a library.
My mother who had worked at her college library put it in its proper order.
I didn't even
know there was such a thing as 'romance novels' until I hit middle school. In
our library, the closest thing you would find to a romance novel was Forever
Amber, by Kathleen Winsor, that I avoided until my sister made me a bet.
Everyone knew I could
read a novel in a day, larger ones maybe 24 hours given the time. She
baited me by betting that if we started the book at the same time, she would
finish it first. Well I took her up on that bet, and finished in record time. I
called her and told her, and she laughed, "I didn't read it, I just wanted
to make you read it." She then asked me how I liked it. I told her I
didn't and when I got to the end, I threw that damn book.
No offense to
romance writers, the book was well written and the character of Amber was
feisty and strong willed, but she put all her energy into the wrong things--in
my opinion. Spending her whole life chasing after one man makes a good story
but a wasted life. Why I threw the book was because of the ending, might, as
well as ended with "Tomorrow is another day.”
Back in the day,
I had my crushes on the handsome boys, all the parts in the right place and
perfectly shaped and popular. Just like the book, they were easy to catch initially, but
hardly worth the effort.
Now if a girl
wants to chase a body instead of a soul that is up to them, but that is not my
thing and wished the girls of today would think of the big picture instead of
fleetingly having an ornament that doesn't think past the end of the week.
I like a book with love interest, but I don't want the whole
book about chasing him down, losing him then ending up in the bedroom, knowing
everything play by play, and calling it love. Love is a mystery. We can't nail
down exactly why we fall in love but rarely is it instantaneously, not the real
stuff trust me. There is a passage in Jane Eyre that says it all for me.
“Do you think I am
an automaton? — a machine without feelings? and can bear to have my morsel of
bread snatched from my lips, and my drop of living water dashed from my cup? Do
you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and
heartless? You think wrong! — I have as much soul as you — and full as much
heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have
made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not
talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of
mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had
passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal — as we are!”
Charlotte Brontë. was talking souls and minds, not physical love that today seems to be more interesting to many people.
Now I know some will
read this and say "whatever bitch' and I'm fine with that. I might even
bet I am in the minority on this subject. I have always found a person's mind
much more interesting than an entertaining body I can't help that. I'm also one that will look at
beefcake for what it is, eye candy nothing more. I do love the eye candy, I'm
not that weird. And if you can find eye candy with a brain, a deep soul and
sensitivity I say go for it. (Or whatever floats your boat, those are my
weaknesses) Hell I even write about hot commodities such as these. The dream of
a perfect looking guy with the whole package, that is why we call it
fiction. In truth, one person's perfection is another person’s flawed
character.
I know many people
who love their romance novels, and they don't get me, hung up on Jane Austen, the Brontë. sisters and horror stories. I like my flawed characters just trying to figure out
what love really is.
P.S.
Or in the case
of reading Stephen King, the characters love interest dies a horrible
death.
P.S.S. Just an opinion of my rambling mind
No comments:
Post a Comment