Reading: Romance Tropes and Narrative

[sartorias]

I want to throw a few thoughts out and see if anyone agrees, or this is just my idiosyncratic tastes. But first, though I want to jot down some ideas about narrative devices, with a riff on why romance novel tropes don't work for me in the following instances, I'm stating up front here that I would so rather avoid sneers and slams at romance.

Comments

[haikujaguar]

I have to say that the image of a "marble-chested vampire" brought to mind a vampire with a piece of marble carved into the likeness of a chest, to which his head and torso had been affixed.

And I thought, "Wow, what a bizarre romance novel hero that would make, for he wouldn't have a working heart!"

*rubs eyes* I need more sleep.

[sartorias]

A lot is made of his cold skin. *shudder*

But the book is mondo popular--more proof there's something for everybody!

[haikujaguar]

Maybe some sort of subconscious symbol of his cold, unloved heart which the protagonist and all her readers are going to be responsible for warming? -_-

[sartorias]

Well, but his eyes "smolder" and "scorch" during the novel (the terms really do show up over and over and over) so . . . not so sure about the guy's inner temperature. But yeah, I think the appeal here is for that vicarious emotional thrill. I'll bet when i was fifteen, I would have been right there with them.

[haikujaguar]

Me too.

Though now I want to see a scholarly discussion of the temperature range of vampires. :D

[sartorias]

You could probably find that wherever there are readers who like vampire stuff!