I read a contemporary romance by a new author this week,
which didn’t really work for me, because it used a time-worn convention that
has started to get on my nerves. I’ll
call it hate at first sight. I won’t
name the book, or even write a review, because I would hate to be negative about a
newly-published author, but I will name and shame the hackneyed convention.
The hero and heroine meet for the first time and are clearly
attracted to each other – and why not, they are perfect for each other – but
the heroine senses some undefined hostility in the hero and instantly mirrors this
back to him. She then spends the next
few chapters coming into conflict with him, and asking herself (too many times)
what it is about him that rubs her up the wrong way. She doesn’t find an answer. Needless to say, their paths cross fairly
often, and sometimes they seem to be on the edge of making a friendly
breakthrough – which is quite understandable, since they are, as I said,
clearly made for each other and destined to be together at the end, because
this is, after all a romance, and we all know how they work. Until then, however, misunderstandings
continue to keep relations between them sizzling and hostile, and numerous golden
opportunities for them to get to know each other and understand what makes each
other tick are lost.
Towards the end of the novel, our hero and heroine naturally
discover the reason for the silly misunderstanding and rush off into the sunset
(or bedroom) for their happily ever after.
What I object to about this is since they have denied
themselves every opportunity to get to know each other, the attraction between
them has never been more than purely physical.
That isn’t love, surely, and nor is it particularly romantic.
Not to my mind, anyway. But perhaps I'm just too old-fashioned.
3 comments:
You've nailed that convention perfectly -- and, no, I don't think you're too old-fashioned. I've read a couple of "romances" on this pattern, and my take is that the writer either can't or doesn't want to show two people actually falling in love. But something has to happen between their immediate attraction and their falling into bed together, or it's not a novel, it's flash fiction! So instead of their getting to know each other, the author substitutes a pointless misunderstanding that can't get solved because they don't even try -- they're too angry to try. Does this ever happen in real life? Not too often, I'd guess. But even if it does, the reader can't see any basis for them staying together for any longer than the next misunderstanding and fight.
Hello Miki,
How lovely to hear from you. Thanks for your comment - I'm so pleased you agree with this. Flash fiction, I like that - it suggests the brevity of relationships based on nothing more than physical attraction.
Interestingly, a friend who read this post suggested that 'hate at first sight' was the basis of 'Pride and Prejudice', which is the archetype of so many romantic novels, but I have to disagree. At first sight, Mr Darcy was indifferent to Elizabeth's beauty and prejudiced against her humble origins as exemplified in the public spectacle her family made. Not quite the same thing; wouldn't you agree?
I agree, you can't love someone you don't really know :) Very good observation, Lyn!
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