When you read his romance; you will in all probability find a story with a depth of feeling and tenderness. Its difficult to find a male author writing sentimental romance. Anyway, getting back to romance in novels - its a perfect recipe for disaster :) Yup! You know the description of a fairy tale perfect romance - which is too good to be true and yet all we women out there seek.
The boy and the girl always seem to be head over heels in love with each other. Few things that cant be so right in real life
The boy has a perfect bod - a la Hritik Roshan :) The girl has the softest curls you can ever find, the nicest, blemish free skin complexion and that perfect bikini body. Oh! lets not forget that manly voice of his and the "give the Cuckoo a run for money" voice of the girl.
The girl loves pets; the boy shares the same passion. He likes biking; she too! She loves ice cream; he does too....Errrr.......
Things automatically falls into place; without any hard work. Incompatibility doesnt exist; if so the partner quickly changes to suit the other.
PERFECT - The ambiance, the setting, the words, the mood, the conversation, the likeness, the chemistry - not once but each and every time!
NORMAL is HOT . A normal walk on the beach with her cutey dog can take his breath away or a him relaxing with a bottle of beer can take her breath away. Ahem..Ahem...
A surprise vacation to an exotic location is so unconditional love. Did I hear candle light dinner at Tierra del fuego? :-P
Even absurd things makes sense. No matter what; just follow your heart - things would work. Really?? Logic and practicality is a crime :)
Love can reform anyone - even a Godzilla to a TDH man. Murderers, addicts, alcoholics anyone could be reformed and its a simple job; doesnt take as much time as it takes to snap your fingers.
Love making is an act of passion - ultimate surrender. Condom - whats that?
And above all - They live happily ever after and thereafter :)
Mills and boon books are like this too na? overdose of sweetness is lethal! to me, to be able to talk to someone for hours without thinking about the topic or time or content is romantic..you should be able to discuss even silliest of your problem with a person..when you are sitting quietly in his presence, you shouldn't feel awkward or bored! the comfort that his presence gives you is love and romance all about!
ReplyDeleteI don't read Mr Sparks books. When I see them displayed on a bookstore shelf, my eyes glaze over and I politely move to the next shelf. And now I am superbly glad I do that. The movies are good to an extent, I must admit. Sigh. Perfect worlds. I am too much of a cynic for this one.
ReplyDeleteDO they really..
ReplyDeleteits stories .. good to read and forget :)
doesnot work for me anymore .. life is REAL not reel hits you hard
Bikram's
Am midway through one of his novels ...Message in a bottle.. and yes...the message... the trip.. the meeting... it all seemed too perfect to be true.. though my heart wished otherwise ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe products made for commercial purpose generally do have predictable plots and characters be it in book or cinema.Most of these are as close to reality as is Barbie Doll's figure.
ReplyDeleteWe all have our own way of looking at romance .For some 'Gone With The Wind' is the ultimate romance book and for many 'Mills and Boon'.Btw an honest confession : i still do enjoy MBs , though occasionally .Have also drooled over 'photo romance' books back in college.
Dinner at Tierra Del Feugo : heeeeee :)
The genre of the Barbara Cartlands the Mill & Boons and then the unblemished perfect love that Bollywood dishes out and the various vernacular periodicals. All aid well in fantasy.
ReplyDeleteHave I read any of these, have I been inspired , titillated by the Bollywood romances. Yes the silver screen has had intoxicated me so , were some of the stuff in Mallu films. And the "little Romance", I posted a few days ago was the fall out of these fantasies.
But I guess young of the present day are far more realistic - let me say practical in these romancing ways than the ones from my generation or may be from your times B.
The explicit ads of"kamasutra" tells the change in generation.In a story of my generation the girl consumes poison and kills herself if she conceived outside wedlock or if the man absconds to safety. A story such as that would be a laughing stock now.
And this now is a time when virtual reality and virtual romance is the fad.Aided and prodded by commercial ideas.
I and people of my generation thrived on the moveis like 'Love story' ( not the Hindi pun), Summer of 42, Gone with the wind, Roman Holidays so on.
I wonder if a MB or a Cartland will sell now.Though they were the cheapest romantic pulps of a generation.
The sunset serenading is dream everybody wishes. I would not mind that at Tierra Del Feugo.
But then to be in love "head over heels" can be a fact even without a semblance of influence from the pulp of MB or Cartland.It can happen when one is well into ones twenties. And it can tear and convulse ones, muscles and mind in such a way that candle light dinner
may be the farthest thing that will come to mind.
The audience does matter.The reader.The interests change, priorities rule and reality creeps in.Some realise,some never.
ReplyDeleteBtw,insi,what I wonder even today is,most of us go for facial features,looks and things like that when it comes to romance or marriage.Isn't that interesting in real life ?
And then,I love to recollect my college days,where I was so much interested in discussing 'politics' and so on,Boys were buddies to me.Just buddies.Whenever they discussed romance or related things,I don't know they won't come to me for a say.haha..but I was enjoying the shell.Laughing within.
I think there still is a majority who love to sink themselves in fairy tails.Horrible than fiction !
I tried reading romantic novels quite a few time and always left it in between. This time i picked " vision in white" just for the sake of reading something romantic and i am stuck in chapter 1 itself. I think the main reason behind it is that they are far away from reality especially considering the kind of generation we have today :P
ReplyDeleteMills & Boons, Nicholas Spark, romance... Not my territory exactly... :)
ReplyDeleteNot into such sugary-sweet unrealistic romance stories anymore. Used to read M&B when I didn't know any better, not anymore though :).
ReplyDeleteromance..what does that mean? shucks there r such innocent ignorant people like me!!
ReplyDeleteSatire on romance novel is not so romantic. Some might questions you - hey are you female or male? Haha :)))
ReplyDeletewhat an analysis :) agreed !
ReplyDeleteI've not read Sparks very much cause didn't like reading them for some of the obvious reasons that you've put up but have loved the movies that have been made on his books...the much loved: A message in a bottle :)
Ah yeah. They lived happily ever after ! They had no problems. Not even bad breath !
ReplyDeleteLove does strange things. Especially in books, i say !
Ha ha ha :) I am still laughing on the statement - A normal walk on the beach with her cutey dog can take his breath away or a him relaxing with a bottle of beer can take her breath away...
ReplyDeleteNice post Insignia..Love Romance and books.. nice combination to write about.
He drives a convertible on a road with no potholes,
ReplyDeleteThe wind doesnt blow plastic and rotten smells inside,
They walk the dog, without getting enmeshed in tar and oil,
And they meet no corrupt cop , when they go on the ride...
Hearts beat faster, when traffic jams on the shaky flyover,
Cars magically become gondolas in the wild monsoon dripping ride
Mills,Boon,Cage and Cartland, your stuff doesnt work here.....
What works is a swift stinging backhand/forhand swipe, on someones erring backside
Well B, most of your readers agree with you; that's a sure sign of how the world thinks. I am amused at the cynicism at love. M&B and that kind - it serves a purpose. Why should it be realistic. Like God and His/Her avtars, the characters and theme of romance is just an ideal. I always thought romance is natural and healthy. But reading your post and the ensuing comments - well well, I live in a different world, I guess.
ReplyDeletePersonally, there was a time (in fact, several times) I have been in passionate love- and every time I had been true to it. I remember some poem I had written as a sequel to one of your posts.
One falls into love, falls out of it. Maybe it is fashionable to mock at romance and love. Fine. Ah, but B, leave my Tierra del Fuego out of it, it is too holy for me to be thus bandied about! ;-) Instead, make it Tea at Manali!
Guess I'll put it all down to Generation Gap!
And B, to those who haven't been through the agony and ecstasy of foolish love but have always been smart to avoid such goofy things - all I can say is that you haven't seen the ends of rainbow!
ReplyDeleteNeha,
ReplyDeleteHow true :)
Its difficult to find such compatible person :)
Zeba,
:-) I watch the Last Song partially. Reading is fine; as long as you know its a fairy tale; its fine :)
Bik,
Yup! :)
Meety,
Haha lady its a fairy tale :D
kavita,
Yes, I am also in the same category. Even though I know those are just too perfect to be true; I keep wondering if such a thing might just happen :)
Dinner at Tierra del Fuego :P
anil,
I agree with you - generation off late are so practical and insanely cold. It sometimes is scary - lot of things are no more a taboo. No strings attached is what everyone prefers.
But still; deep down most of us yearn that lovey-dovey kind. But it all subsides when you are put to real test of life :)
Melange,
Yup! We do; the facial and physical features determine the character of the person for us, isnt it? all thanks to the influence of movies and stories.
:)
neha,
:-) Haaaa but go ahead and read it :)
Harish,
Hmm, its nice to snug with such a novel once in a while
Rachna,
You are mature to trust these stories anymore :)
Ramesh,
Lol yeah!!
A,
Oh my! My DP should give them a hint :P
Scribby,
Its not Sparks alone. Romance stories are too much to handle :) they are so nice
Kavi,
Not even bad breath :P I liked that.
Smelly towels and stinky socks I wanna add :)
Ashwini,
:-P Thank you
Ugich,
Hahaha super liked those lines. I got reminded of those perfect situations they show on movies :)
Thanks for those verses madam :)
Balan,
Oh my! Balan I didnt mock at romance here. I am only talking about the perfect picture the romantic stories paint.
I am a die hard hopeless romantic you know. Romance for me is on a different plane.
Tell me - how many women have you come across with flawless skin? Apart from movies that is.
Or why only a TDH? If so, so many of us would remain lonely without love.
So its not cynicism at love but about the romantic stories portrayed in movies and novels.
Oops! Oops again. Did you feel I bandied about your Tierra del fuego? There is a gross mistake. Apologies if my sentence conveyed otherwise. I just mentioned it to grab your attention :)
Its as holy to me as it is to you Balan
I just wrote a satire out of few cliches that comes in such fairy tale stories.
I am too very much in such romance n all....n believe would have one perfect life in my near future!....:)
ReplyDeletei do trust in God n that he has planned a life I wish for....:)
If u think wrong,life will surely prove u right!
guess too much of philosophy n unrealistic words for d ppl commented here...but well,that's how i think!
clouds,
ReplyDeleteHaha, I believe in romance, who said I dont.
I just dont believe in only right things happening at all times :)
hehehe :D I just read one of his - Message in bottle i guess... but too much romance and sweetness is not for me :P
ReplyDeleteI loved your take on romantic stories ... everything seems to be absurdly perfect :P
:D
ReplyDeleteBut may be these perfect images are just exaggerations of the beautiful image of love in everyone's mind :)
Rajlakshmi,
ReplyDelete:-) Haha
et,
Yes they are exaggerations. The problem is we expect love to be perfect which isnt
time stops when i read your blogs bindu.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best ever compliment I have ever got for my blog Gautam. And the other best ones are of course; always from you. I am honored.
ReplyDeleteTake care
i had to call in to a staff meeting where people were talking about things i did not understand. i did not know how i would spend time. i read posts like this and happily whiled away time. :-D Yay!!!!
ReplyDelete