Romance Novels in the modern world
The more I see of world news the faster I reach for a good uplifting romance novel.
After the recent devastation in Christchurch we are again seeing the appalling destruction wreaked by mother nature in Japan. That this time the devastation is on the other side of the world makes it no less terrifying. And reinforces how very fragile is the link between life and death.
It reinforces how closely humans lives are interconnected in this global world. There is no time lapse to blunt these catastrophic events. We witness the earthquake and resulting tsunami as it is happens.
In ages past happenings on the other side of the world didn’t reach our shores until the arrival of the next ship from the Northern hemisphere. With the advent of Radio such news as the outbreak of war, the death of a sovereign was reported in good time with the printing of the next newspaper.
Now, modern communication mean such tragedies as the Japan Earthquake, Colonel Gaddaffi murdering his countrymen to retain a grip on power, wars in other countries are viewed in all their gripping immediacy as they happen.
And, as individuals, such happenings only serve to emphasise our powerlessness. Who can reason with Mother Nature or a tyrannical despot or brainwashed terrorists?
With the instant viewing of such horror is it any wonder romance novels and other escapist genres are in such high demand. They are the antidote to the horror of our everyday lives.
The human mind can only cope with so much trauma.
I know without a good book I could never cope with our modern day realities and I suspect there are many other people like me.
Long live Romance.
Published on Saturday, March 12th, 2011, under Latest News
I also like to delve into fictional worlds to escape. I quite like the worlds I create – they often seem more exciting than my own!
Another perspective to the events we've seen recently is that, as writers, we'll absorb the images, reflect on them, turn them around this way and that, deepen our insight and make our writing more complex and interesting as a result. It sounds ruthless and it's not deliberate but writers are observers and will bring what they see and experience to their work no matter what genre.
After spending a Friday night clued to the television watching the devastation unfold right infront of my eyes I couldn't go to sleep no matter what. The ultimate antidote was to read a couple of pages of a good romance, thank you Nalini. Nothing like a changeling falling hopelessly for a Psy to take your mind off a very angry Mother Nature.
I agree Leigh my ears were tuned on the commentators reflecting on the Japan tragedy. Hearing and noting how devastation is explained my own dictionary growing from there.
Yeah, verily! There is something comforting about the age old premise that good will win out over evil, love over adversity. Thank you, all you wonderful romance writers, for the hope you put in all our hearts.
Absolutely Shirley – because real life is just a little too real right now. Hugs.