Romance Novels in American Public Libraries: a Study of Collection Development and Promotion Practices* Original Publication
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A Natural History of the Romance Novel
A romance novel is a work ofprosefiction that tells the story of the courtship and betrothal ofone or more heroines. As this definition is neither widely known nor accepted, it ' -requires no little defense as well as some teasing out of dis- tinctions between the term put forward here, "romance novel," and terms in widespread use, such as .''E'&&nq~and "novel." I begin with the broadest term, "roman$< . ' The term "romance" is confusing~~iiiclp~~,meaning one ' .* - thing in r suncy- of me&eval lit entire& &&cc, in a cbntmhporary store for r copy of the h&mt Dartbur axit$:& &k will take you m the 'literacure" $t&on: a glance a; prdksintroduction will inform you that Malory's prose a~$$t,~4:f King Arthur is called a "romance." Ask for a roman<L d$he clerk will take t y. '%- you to the (generally) large section G& & &e stocked with Harlequins, Silhouettes and single-title releases by writers such as Nora Roberts, Amanda Quick, and Janet Dailey. Can Mal- 07's Mortc Dartbur and Quick's Dcctptwn both be romances? , They can be and are, but only Dcctption is also a romance novel . as I am defining the term here. Robert Ellrich hazards a definition of the old, encompassing term "romance": "the story of iridividual human beings pursu- :.hg their precarious existence with+ the circumscription of ~d,moral, and various other hs-worldly problems. the ce . means to show the &r what steps must be taken to reach a desired goal, sqresented often though not m the guise of a spouse" @f4-75). -
Owen Glendower and the Failure of Historical Romance
52 53 Yankee puritanism and Southern aristocracy, was evinced in American literature as early as the works of James Fenimore Cooper. More recently, revisionist historical works, such as Stephen Saunders Webb, 1676: The End of American Independence (New York: Knopf, 1984) and Francis Jennings, The Invasion of America, have The Mythology of Escape: Owen expanded on the Cooper vision of the upstate New York-native Glendower and the Failure of American connection. These works have enhanced the sense of the Historical Romance native Americans as historical actors, not just passive primitives. This is far more Powysian in spirit than a view of the Indians as noble, poetic savages, transatlantic "Celts." Ian Duncan 12 Powys's interest in this area was, as usual, clairvoyant and prophetic; it went unmatched in any visible American literary production until the recent appearance of William Least Heat Owen Glendower, so melancholy in its Moon's PriaryErth, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1991). preoccupation with lost origins, was the novel of John Cowper Powys's "homecoming." In 1934, Powys imposed a deceptive narrative closure upon the first sixty years of his life in the great Autobiography, and left America, where he had written his Wessex romances, to return to Britain, eventually settling in Wales in 1936. Powys's Welsh essays, collected in Obstinate Cymric (1947), record the identification of his "philosophy up-to-date" with "the idea of Wales" as a configuration of landscape, mythology and race.l Yet Powys had never lived there; the place of -
Introduction
Abstract: This essay looks at the interconnections between the cultural industry of popular romance and best-selling novels set in an Irish historical context. In particular, it examines two best-selling novels by North American author Karen Robards, which have not yet been examined in academia: Dark of the Moon (1988) and Forbidden Love (2013; originally published in 1983). Although this small selection constitutes only a preliminary study of an expanding popular genre, it is my hope that it will serve as a relevant example of how Ireland is exoticised in the transnational cultural industry of romance. Drawing on several studies on popular romance (Radway 1984; Strehle and Carden 2009; and Roach 2016), and on specific sources devoted to the study of historical romance, in particular when set in exotic locations (Hughes 2005; Philips 2011; Teo 2012; 2016), I intend to demonstrate how these novels by Karen Robards follow the clichés and conventions of the typical romances produced in the 1980s. As I show, the popularity that Robards’ novels still enjoy reflects the supremacy of the genre and the wide reception of this kind of fiction in the global market. Keywords: Cultural industry; popular romance; Irish context; market. Introduction In her semi-academic, ethnographic study Happily-Ever-After, Catherine Roach (4) identifies romance as “the prime cultural narrative of the modern Western world”. This is a best-selling genre which dominates the publishing industry, particularly in North America and other Western European countries. It is generally a woman-centred genre, as most authors and readers are female (110). The basic plot of the (heterosexual) romance narrative revolves around a hero and a heroine, who fall in love, work through many trials and tribulations and end up happily. -
Con-Scripting the Masses: False Documents and Historical Revisionism in the Americas
University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Open Access Dissertations 2-2011 Con-Scripting the Masses: False Documents and Historical Revisionism in the Americas Frans Weiser University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/open_access_dissertations Part of the Comparative Literature Commons Recommended Citation Weiser, Frans, "Con-Scripting the Masses: False Documents and Historical Revisionism in the Americas" (2011). Open Access Dissertations. 347. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/open_access_dissertations/347 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CON-SCRIPTING THE MASSES: FALSE DOCUMENTS AND HISTORICAL REVISIONISM IN THE AMERICAS A Dissertation Presented by FRANS-STEPHEN WEISER Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment Of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY February 2011 Program of Comparative Literature © Copyright 2011 by Frans-Stephen Weiser All Rights Reserved CON-SCRIPTING THE MASSES: FALSE DOCUMENTS AND HISTORICAL REVISIONISM IN THE AMERICAS A Dissertation Presented by FRANS-STEPHEN WEISER Approved as to style and content by: _______________________________________________ David Lenson, Chair _______________________________________________ -
Afrindian Fictions
Afrindian Fictions Diaspora, Race, and National Desire in South Africa Pallavi Rastogi T H E O H I O S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y P R E ss C O L U MB us Copyright © 2008 by The Ohio State University. All rights reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rastogi, Pallavi. Afrindian fictions : diaspora, race, and national desire in South Africa / Pallavi Rastogi. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8142-0319-4 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-8142-0319-1 (alk. paper) 1. South African fiction (English)—21st century—History and criticism. 2. South African fiction (English)—20th century—History and criticism. 3. South African fic- tion (English)—East Indian authors—History and criticism. 4. East Indians—Foreign countries—Intellectual life. 5. East Indian diaspora in literature. 6. Identity (Psychol- ogy) in literature. 7. Group identity in literature. I. Title. PR9358.2.I54R37 2008 823'.91409352991411—dc22 2008006183 This book is available in the following editions: Cloth (ISBN 978–08142–0319–4) CD-ROM (ISBN 978–08142–9099–6) Cover design by Laurence J. Nozik Typeset in Adobe Fairfield by Juliet Williams Printed by Thomson-Shore, Inc. The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the Ameri- can National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials. ANSI Z39.48–1992. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Contents Acknowledgments v Introduction Are Indians Africans Too, or: When Does a Subcontinental Become a Citizen? 1 Chapter 1 Indians in Short: Collectivity -
CONQUEST BOOK 1: Daughter of the Last King by Tracey Warr
CONQUEST BOOK 1: Daughter of the Last King By Tracey Warr 1093. The three sons of William the Conqueror – Robert Duke of Normandy, William II King of England and Count Henry – fight with each other for control of the Anglo-Norman kingdom created by their father’s conquest. Meanwhile, Nesta ferch Rhys, the daughter of the last independent Welsh king, is captured during the Norman assault of her lands. Raised with her captors, the powerful Montgommery family, Nes- ta is educated to be the wife of Arnulf of Montgommery, in spite of her pre-existing betrothal to a Welsh prince. Who will Nesta marry and can the Welsh rebels oust the Normans? Daughter of the Last King is the first in the Conquest Trilogy. Published: 1 Sept 2016 ISBN: 9781907605819 Price: £9.99 Category: Historical fiction, historical romance, medieval All marketing and publicity enquiries: [email protected] Author Bio Tracey Warr is a writer based in Wales and France, and has published novels and books on contemporary art. She was Senior Lecturer, teaching and researching on art history and theory of the 20th and 21st centuries, at Oxford Brookes Universi- ty, Bauhaus University and Dartington College of Arts. Her first novel, Almodis: The Peaceweaver (Impress, 2011), is set in 11th century France and Spain, and was shortlisted for the Impress Prize for New Fiction and the Rome Film Festival Book Initiative and received a Santander Research Award. Her second historical novel, The Viking Hostage (Impress, 2014), is set in 10th century France and Wales. She received a Literature Wales Writer’s Bursary for work on her new trilogy, Con- quest, set in 12th century Wales, England and Normandy. -
The Treatment of Gender in Twentieth-Century Scottish Women’S Historical Fiction
The Treatment of Gender in Twentieth-century Scottish Women’s Historical Fiction Amanda J. McLeod University of Glasgow March 2001 Submitted for the degree of MLit . ProQuest Number: 13833905 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 13833905 Published by ProQuest LLC(2019). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 f GLASGOW UNIVERSITY LIBRARY: 12300-O ? I 2 Contents • Abstract..............................................................................................................................3 • Acknowledgements ...........................................................................................................5 • List of Abbreviations .........................................................................................................6 • Introduction: Women’s Historical Fiction: A Contradiction in Terms? ........................ 7 • Chapter 1: Unchallenging Histories: Early Historical Fiction and Later Historical Romance by Scottish Women ....................................................................................... -
James Fenimore Cooper and the Genteel Hero of Romance
INFORMATION TO USERS This material was produced from a microfilm copy of the original document. While the most advanced technological means to photograph and reproduce this document have been used, the quality is heavily dependent upon the quality of the original submitted. The following explanation of techniques is provided to help you understand markings or patterns which may appear on this reproduction. 1. The sign or "target" for pages apparently lacking from the document photographed is "Missing Page(s)". If it was possible to obtain the missing page(s) or section, they are spliced into the film along with adjacent pages. This may have necessitated cutting thru an image and duplicating adjacent pages to insure you complete continuity. 2. When an image on the film is obliterated with a large round black mark, it is an indication that the photographer suspected that the copy may have moved during exposure and thus cause a blurred image. You will find a good image of the page in the adjacent frame. 3. When a map, drawing or chart, etc., was part of the material being photographed the photographer followed a definite method in "sectioning" the material. It is customary to begin photoing at the upper left hand corner of a large sheet and to continue photoing from left to right in equal sections with a small overlap. If necessary, sectioning is continued again — beginning below the first row and continuing on until complete. 4. The majority of users indicate that the textual content is of greatest value, however, a somewhat higher quality reproduction could be made from "photographs" if essential to the understanding of the dissertation. -
Core Collections in Genre Studies Romance Fiction
the alert collector Neal Wyatt, Editor Building genre collections is a central concern of public li- brary collection development efforts. Even for college and Core Collections university libraries, where it is not a major focus, a solid core collection makes a welcome addition for students needing a break from their course load and supports a range of aca- in Genre Studies demic interests. Given the widespread popularity of genre books, understanding the basics of a given genre is a great skill for all types of librarians to have. Romance Fiction 101 It was, therefore, an important and groundbreaking event when the RUSA Collection Development and Evaluation Section (CODES) voted to create a new juried list highlight- ing the best in genre literature. The Reading List, as the new list will be called, honors the single best title in eight genre categories: romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, horror, historical fiction, women’s fiction, and the adrenaline genre group consisting of thriller, suspense, and adventure. To celebrate this new list and explore the wealth of genre literature, The Alert Collector will launch an ongoing, occa- Neal Wyatt and Georgine sional series of genre-themed articles. This column explores olson, kristin Ramsdell, Joyce the romance genre in all its many incarnations. Saricks, and Lynne Welch, Five librarians gathered together to write this column Guest Columnists and share their knowledge and love of the genre. Each was asked to write an introduction to a subgenre and to select five books that highlight the features of that subgenre. The result Correspondence concerning the is an enlightening, entertaining guide to building a core col- column should be addressed to Neal lection in the genre area that accounts for almost half of all Wyatt, Collection Management paperbacks sold each year.1 Manager, Chesterfield County Public Georgine Olson, who wrote the historical romance sec- Library, 9501 Lori Rd., Chesterfield, VA tion, has been reading historical romance even longer than 23832; [email protected]. -
The Historical Novel” an Audio Program from This Goodly Land: Alabama’S Literary Landscape
Supplemental Materials for “The Historical Novel” An Audio Program from This Goodly Land: Alabama’s Literary Landscape Program Description Interviewer Maiben Beard and Dr. Bert Hitchcock, Professor emeritus, of the Auburn University Department of English discuss the historical novel. Reading List Overviews and Bibliographies • Butterfield, Herbert. The Historical Novel: An Essay. Cambridge, Eng.: The University Press, 1924. Rpt. Folcroft, Penn.: Folcroft Library Editions, 1971. Rpt. Norwood, Penn.: Norwood Editions, 1975. • Carnes, Mark C., ed. Novel History: Historians and Novelists Confront America’s Past (and Each Other). New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001. • Coffey, Rosemary K., and Elizabeth F. Howard. America as Story: Historical Fiction for Middle and Secondary Schools. Chicago: American Library Association, 1997. • Dekker, George. The American Historical Romance. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987. • Dickinson, A. T. American Historical Fiction. New York: Scarecrow Press, 1958. Rpt. New York: Scarecrow Press, 1963. • Henderson, Harry B. Versions of the Past: The Historical Imagination in American Fiction. New York: Oxford University Press, 1974. • Holman, C. Hugh. The Immoderate Past: The Southern Writer and History. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1977. • Leisy, Earnest E. The American Historical Novel. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1950. • Lukács, Georg [György]. The Historical Novel. Trans. Hannah and Stanley Mitchell. London: Merlin Press, 1962. • Matthews, Brander. The Historical Novel and Other Essays. New York: C. Scribner’s Sons, 1901. [An online version of The Historical Novel and Other Essays is available from Google Book Search at http://books.google.com/books?id=wA1bAAAAMAAJ.] • VanMeter, Vandelia L. America in Historical Fiction: A Bibliographic Guide. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited, 1997. -
BOOK REVIEW of LOVE STORY WRITTEN by ERICH SEGAL Candra Handayani & Ratna Asmarani S-1 Degree in Literature
BOOK REVIEW OF LOVE STORY WRITTEN BY ERICH SEGAL Candra Handayani & Ratna Asmarani S-1 Degree in Literature ABSTRACT In this study, the writer will analyze the novel Love Story by Erich Segal by using the intrinsic theories. The purposes of this study are to analyze the main characters and to reveal the strengths and the weaknesses of Erich Segal‘s Love Story. Love Story tells a romantic story of two main characters, Oliver Barret IV and Jennifer Cavileri who are from different social and culture background. Although Love Story has some weaknesses, the strengths of this novel make it still be recommended to be read. Keywords: character, strength, weakness 1. Introduction works are selected on aesthetic grounds; other books are picked for 1.1. Background of the Study their reputation or intellectual /iterary works are the result of people‘s eminence together with aesthetic value of a rather narrow kind: style, creation. Literary works can be novel, composition, and general force of drama, short story, and poetry. Literary presentation are the usual characteristics singled out (Wellek and works are created by the author to entertain Warren, 1976: 216). the reader. Through literary works one will Erich Segal‘s Love story is one of be able to develop one's creativity. the famous and legendary literary works. It Someone can be inspired after reading a is a novel about a wealthy and a clever work of literature and imagine the man named Oliver Barrett IV who falls in characters in the story. One of the literary love with a poor Italian-American girl works that the writer chooses in this final named Jennifer Cavilleri. -
Uncovering and Recovering the Popular Romance Novel A
Uncovering and Recovering the Popular Romance Novel A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA BY Jayashree Kamble IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Dr. Timothy Brennan December 2008 © Jayashree Sambhaji Kamble, December 2008 Acknowledgements I thank the members of my dissertation committee, particularly my adviser, Dr. Tim Brennan. Your faith and guidance have been invaluable gifts, your work an inspiration. My thanks also go to other members of the faculty and staff in the English Department at the University of Minnesota, who have helped me negotiate the path to this moment. My graduate career has been supported by fellowships and grants from the University of Minnesota’s Graduate School, the University of Minnesota’s Department of English, the University of Minnesota’s Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, and the Romance Writers of America, and I convey my thanks to all of them. Most of all, I would like to express my gratitude to my long-suffering family and friends, who have been patient, generous, understanding, and supportive. Sunil, Teresa, Kristin, Madhurima, Kris, Katie, Kirsten, Anne, and the many others who have encouraged me— I consider myself very lucky to have your affection. Shukriya. Merci. Dhanyavad. i Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Shashikala Kamble and Sambhaji Kamble. ii Abstract Popular romance novels are a twentieth- and twenty-first century literary form defined by a material association with pulp publishing, a conceptual one with courtship narrative, and a brand association with particular author-publisher combinations.