And we have a Bulwer-Lytton award winner right there...

[dangermousie]

This little gem is from Lauren Willig's The Masque of the Black Tulip, part of her Carnation series. I have many issues with that series (anachronistic characters, inane plots, heroes and heroines that are not only overly wholesome but were dropped on their heads as babies and bounced repeatedly). I have only liked The Seduction of the Crimson Rose

Comments

[meganbmoore]

I maintain that these are best enjoyed with the assumption that Eloise secretly has boxes and boxes of Old Skool romance novels packed away, and that the "historical" parts are her imagination taking off with no shame.

[dangermousie]

But why couldn't she have fantasized good romance novels? :)

(Honestly, how are they shelved with general fiction and not romances. I will never understand).

[meganbmoore]

I think they're technically considered Chick Lit, and Chick Lit authors, who seem to mostly be concerned about biological clocks expiring and how single women over 30 and women with fantasies are pathetic and how all attractive women who aren't the heroine are enemies until they've proven their worth by not being attracted to the designated love interest, don't want to be mistaken for romance authors, who clearly write about nothing but feelings and sex.

Oh, wait, did my hatred for the few chick lit books I've attempted to read (outside of these, where I want to throw them across the room for aspects of the Eloise parts, which fit the above formula perfectly) emerge?

[dangermousie]

LOLOL. The only chicklit book I've ever loved was Bridget Jones - her narrative voice was ridiculously funny and I've known so many people like her and the other characters in the book (of course, it's the writing style that makes the book and when you take it away, like you did in the movie, the story itself is nothing to write home about).

Even then, Eloise parts are 1/10 of each book (and the part I uniformly skip) the rest is standard bodice-ripper with tedious attempts at imitating Georgette Heyer.

[boycottbananas]

... scintillated I vaguely remember from a Twilight-hating post, but oscillating...? ._.

[dangermousie]

Moving back and forth.

I don't even want to know...

[scanky_chops]

Looks like someone had a fixation with 'illating' words. XD

[dangermousie]

Unfurtunately, the one word she left out was 'titillating' - it wasn't :)

[morwen_peredhil]

I am now convinced that Lauren Willig has never actually had an orgasm.

[dangermousie]

Or if she did, she was on LSD while experiencing it.

[dangermousie]

LOLOLOL