An Ode to the Romance Novel (Feat. Lindsay Ellis) | It's Lit!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
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What actually makes a romance novel?
The romance novel has been the subject of intrigue, derision, and shame in literary discourse long before the modern genre as we know it today existed. Romance novels are relegated to your Aunt Muriel’s bathroom, thrift store book sections, and that one aisle in Barnes and Noble that you pretend to walk through because you got “lost” looking for cookbooks. But it deserves a closer look than that - it is after all the highest grossing of all literary genres, out-selling its next nearest competitor twice over.
Interested in using this video as a teaching resource? Check it out on PBS LearningMedia: to.pbs.org/33U7jUq
Written by Lindsay Ellis and Angelina Meehan
Directed & animated by Andrew Matthews
Produced by Amanda Fox
Executive in Charge (PBS): Adam Dylewski
Music and Sound Design: Eric Friend
Hand Model: Katie Graham
Imaged by Shutterstock
![แฟนแนวใด๋ - ยูริ โตเกียวมิวสิค [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4_XVMuhhbsU/mqdefault.jpg)
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I love Lindsay's essays. Glad to see she's working with PBS. Hope they let her do some long form "whole plate" things.
I love Lindsay's essays too. Like, a lot. I don't love when Darth Elon sneaks his stout slimy skull into it... I audibly groaned so loud my roommates came to make sure I was okay.
She just released a new one last week about Marxism.
Musk?
Allen Ferreira Yeah take that Doug Walker. All the critics that left you are doing fine without you. They have grown in popularity without him. They have show they no longer need him.
"Is it romance? Is it erotica? Is it fanfiction?" Is it a cautionary tale?
Unfortunately, it is not a cautionary tale
It's garbage from Queen Garbage of the Garbage Dynasty.
It should be a cautionary tale...
It's just a badly written non consent fantasy. Women and even young girls can enjoy a fantasy without wanting it in real life.
It's an amalgam. A cocktail of bad ideas tossed in a blender.
this is Mr Darcy slander... he's just an anxious nerd not a brooding cool guy
Cordula The Platypus he's hardly an anxious nerd or a broody cool guy, I think there's a lot more nuance to him than that. Lots of people latch onto the "aww Darcy is an awkward penguin " interpretation but Imho that part of him is overemphasized by people remembering tbe 1995 and 2005 adaptations and the choices in acting and directing made there.
Yeah he's snobbish and thinks too highly of himself as well, but when Elizabeth tells him he takes it seriously and changes for the better.
That aside, I think it's a little sad if Austen is only perceived as a romance writer...
Maja! Oh, nobody is saying she is a romance writer! Just that there is an influence that lives on in the dna of a lot of romance novels today. And romantic comedy films, for that matter. But we're not going to remember her as a romcom writer either.
Maja! She's a literary classic, which to me suggests that other romance novels could also be literary classics, even if most of them aren't because of Sturgeon's Law.
Yeah Darcy is prejudiced BUT I can't blame him. He is simply pissed of by stupid human beings, no matter what society they belong to. He's a GOOD one!
My sister's dyslexia keeps her from reading most big novels.
But she has a blast with her romance novels: they're funny, they can be full of action, and it's improved her overal reading skills so much!
It really bugs me that she still feels shame in reading them in public!
It is kind of like reading a porn magazine in public.. I mean we shouldn't judge.. It is just similar.
Carewolf
You're right, but why do we all feel this way?! It's not like sex doesn't future in things like novels and thriller books. Why do we have this `his pulsating member entering her damp spiderhole` stereotype about these books?
Because it is rather common in many of those books and many women do read them to be turned on by them.
Carewolf
But it's usually not the payoff. The relationship working or not, the romance, that's what it's about.
Remember, 50 shades is erotica. It's main focus is to turn the reader on. The big question in a romance novel is usually `will they end up together.` Having sex is a way to finally give yourself 100%, but there are novels where this doesn't happen.
I think we shouldn't fault it because it leans on romance, like I won't think less about a thriller or an adventure novel for giving me suspense (and sometimes more sex than your average romance novel.)
That's awesome for your sister! Out of curiosity, do you know what makes romance novels easier for her to read? Is it a length thing, or some sort of difference in the fonts or writing style used? I am all for anything that makes reading more accessible! :D
Video released on Emily Bronte's 200th Birthday!
the fun part about romances is that they are so much more than the basic tropes. what I love about them is that as long as the three core requirements are met (happily ever after, focus on relationship and romance) they can be anything and set anywhere with any kind of heroes and/or heroines (not just the perfect cinnamon roll, or the brooding alpha that only our heroine can fix), including polyamory.
you want your mysteries? romances got you covered. comedy? of course! fantasy and/or science fiction - you got it. westerns, historical, horror, family drama, anything and everything you can think of - can be a romance. so you get the double bounty of "happy sigh of wish fulfillment of a happy ending" AND whatever other genre you may enjoy. one of my favorite writers, Jennifer Crusie has written a number of essays about romance novels and their importance. I would highly recommend reading them for anyone interested in learning more :).
Honestly... most writers stuff romance in their work in form of hastily written or barely cared-for subplots. It deserves better. I am soooo here for romance stories where all kinds of other genres are the subplot. I want romance that is engaging and lively and full of adventures, with less weak drama and more love. That is my kinda romance.
Speaking of fanfiction, will there be an episode about that?
Lindsay will just make the video 4 hours of her live-reading her Phantom of the Opera/Starscream crossovers.
please, now you're making me wish for something that won't actually exist!
Yeah! Thats a good question!
interdemensional TH-cam
Samm Just It’s a very interesting topic actually, the entirety of Arthurian lore is basically a compilation of historical fan fictions
One of my lit professors was absolutely obsessed with romance novels, specifically the kind you can buy in train stations. He didn't get to teach a class on that, but he sure as hell was able to cram it into every lecture.
1:45 "Ah, fiddle faddle!" (storms out of the room)
That was my favorite part!
Whoever edited that sound effect in deserves a medal. That's what sold the video.
Also, modern historicals aren't bodice rippers - those are strictly from the 70s and 80s. By the 90s, the genre was moving away from "forced seduction", though the ongoing social derision of romance novels shows society's view of female sexuality hasn't changed as much.
I am a fully grown woman and only recently I stopped being ashamed of liking an occasional romance novel.
I grew up reading scifi, fantasy, and classic european literature. But now I proudly say that I also like some romances and there is nothing wrong with them. Why do we respect fantastical stories a lot more than stories about somewhat realistic people doing something that most of us will actually do (or try to do) in real life: experiencing physical and emotional intimacy with another human being, learning how to be a couple without compromising yourself, overcoming life difficulties together, etc. And if there is a sexy, not rapey, highlander- nothing wrong with that either.
My favorite type is alpha vs alpha: two very strong and capable people learning to respect each other, while retaining a slight cooperative edge.
Have you read the In Death novels by J.D. Robb? Two alpha types fall in love and solve murder mysteries while also helping each other with their personal demons. In a sci-fi setting. So it's at least 3 genres in one!
ayyyy everyone loves a power couple ♡
@@SirThinks2Much oh hello there new book rec *eyes emoji*
Hell yeah, romance! I was raised by an extremely well-read English/Lit teacher, and though she’s a gene hopper to be sure, stacks and stacks of bodice rippers and other romance novels littered our shelves and counters. I would say she read two or three a week. I read all kinds too, but romance is the genre that gives me the escapism I need to get through the daily grind. Thanks for the great work on this under-appreciated genre!
I love that the road map is a map of Paris
:O that's a hella good detail!!!
"In the City of Love..."
I was just about to say that.
Go, Lindsay Ellis, you continue to be absolutely fascinating.
Anne Bronte wrote "Agnes Grey", a pretty traditional romance, and "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall", less so.
Helen "The Tenant" Graham shutting that door is my everything
Yes! Thank you for mentioning LGBTQ romance books.
“Sand Gets Everywhere”
Haven’t even started the video and I have to pause cuz I’m laughing too hard to hear anything.
For some reason, I had Star Wars prequel flashbacks when I saw that title.
Given that Lindsay and Nella used to do a show about writing their own 50 Shades, she should do a video on the movie trilogy.
Sudev Sen I thought it was based on twilight more than 50 shades? Idk maybe I'm wrong.
Dan olson is doing a trilogy of videos on the fifty shades movies. The first one, "A Lukewarm Defence of Fifty Shades of Grey (the movie)" is already out and is great
The Dom has a very good series on the first two Fifty Shades books and movie adaptations as well.
Nah, their show was about writing their own shitty Twilight knock-off.
I mean, it was about picking a random monster and then trying to write a problematic romance about it. Not about some rich boy who only was into BDSM because of mental issues.
And, BTW, I do think she overcorrected in her apology to Stephanie Meyer. The problematic stuff really is there.
4:40 "I-it's not for me," Lindsay stammers, hastily closing her web browser tab labeled "Todd Howard/Elon Musk [Archive of Our Own]"
I remember my fiction writing workshop instructor had us read "Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen. I don't think I even made it through the whole thing. The constant political speeches just wore me down. When I re-visited San Francisco to attended the Algonkian Wharf Writer's conference, I was engaged in an in-depth discussion with the instructor about how the Writing program I'd graduation from a year ago placed very little emphasis on the practical side of writing and publishing. When I mentioned reading "Freedom" for a fiction workshop, he immediately said, "You read that piece of garbage?"
Here's what young Jane Austen had to say on the subject:
“Yes, novels; for I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom, so common with novel-writers, of degrading, by their contemptuous censure, the very performances to the number of which they are themselves adding; joining with their greatest enemies in bestowing the harshest epithets on such works, and scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who, if she accidentally take up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust. Alas! if the heroine of one novel be not patronised by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard? I cannot approve of it. Let us leave it to the reviewers to abuse such effusions of fancy at their leisure, and over every new novel to talk in threadbare strains of the trash with which the press now groans. Let us not desert one another- we are an injured body.”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
I love this format, I would really love to see a full series or channel that is devoted to literary history and analysis of important books, like how PBS has Eons and Seeker and the Origins of Everything. I also really liked the other video on afrofuturism by the storyscape. It would be so cool if they combined these two content creators and gave them some more support to make similar content on a channel of their own.
Extra Credits TH-cam channel has recently begun delving into the history of the Sci-fi genre and it's most notable influences. I strongly recommend it. :)
There's also Overly Sarcastic Productions for much shorter looks at specific books and history in general, although they've got a longer series simply describing the events of Journey to the West and I love it.
I expect there are other channels devoting themselves to these ideas as well, but I don't know of them yet. Anyone else, feel free to list more suggestions!
Can I please keep that shot of Anne Bronte walking off going "Ah fiddle faddle"XD
Come on Lindsay, you could have sneakily put Awoken in here somewhere
Edit: damn I never get this many likes. Thanks ^_^
So glad they differentiated between love stories and romance. This is why Nicholas Sparks is not a romance writer! You can't kill off your main characters in a romance!
Love how Lindsay explains things! Please continue!
This series is phenomenal.
I love romances books. Its my favorite genre. My mom got me into them because she loves them too. Though my tastes have grown a bit different than hers. Still love romance!!! ❤ will always will and wont let anyone shame me for it.
i love these videos!! i've always seen a lack of videos focusing on literature so it makes me really happy seeing these produced!!
Sound design game is on point
This video essay has inspired me to start using 'Fiddle Faddle' as part of my daily lexicon.
(If you're interested in dipping your toes into romance, Smart Bitches Trashy Books is both hilarious and a great resource)
(The cover snark tag makes me laugh so hard it becomes physically difficult to breathe)
thevampirefrog06 Love SBTB!
LOVE THIS SERIES!!! (Especially because it comes out more often than Lindsay's regular video-essays)
One could argue that Shakespeare comedy was the inspiration of the first romance novel.
More of these, please!
Thank you in advance
I think it's important to emphasize that the term "bodice ripper" typically refers to novel from the 1970s and 1980s. Romances (including historical romances) featuring dubiously consensual sex between the hero and heroine still exist (although they are much less common), but they aren't considered 'bodice rippers.' It's like how you can still make a film set in the Old West featuring gunslingers, Native Americans, et cetera, but it isn't considered a 'western' if it's made recently.
I love Lindsey and these little video series. Keep them coming!
Anne Bronte did write a romance novel. I read it. It was short and kinda dry (mostly about the woes of being a governess to bratty people) but it ended with successful romantic love, so.
I gotta know who got roped in last second by the editor to say "Aww fiddle faddle" as Anne Bronte, but then COMPLETELY SOLD IT
I love 1950s lesbian pulp fiction novels!! I found out about them from the documentary Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (a must watch if you're interested in the topic) and now I collect them!! As Lindsay said, a vast majority of them have tragic endings, as authors were pressured to do so by the publishing company, but a lot of them were written by lesbians. It's an oft forgotten part of LGBT history!!
I've always been more interested in shojo and josei manga than in romance novels. I don't like all of it, but... One thing I find that I haven't seen as much in Western romances is romance built on friendship. Maybe it's just because I haven't read as much Western romance, but... Anyway, probably my favorite romantic comedy of all time is a manga like that called Lovely Complex.
friends to loves is a very popular western romance trope, though you are more likely to find it in contemporary romances rather then historicals or paranormals for instance. I mean.. "when Harry met Sally" is basically life long friends falling in love.
oh my godddd i love love love Lovely Complex!
And I am a total sucker for romance built on friendship too. Don't get why it isn't popular either. Fanfiction tho is amazing at catering for my need for "friends to lovers" trope.
@@Forgefaerie idk man... those always have the flavour of "oh this happened because men and women cannot actually be friends because if they get along, they haaave to end up together". It is not an unpopular trope, sure, but it isn't done justice often.
@@oof-rr5nf depends on what you are reading methinks. or what biases you approach the stories with. when text explicitly emphasizes friendship and its not even merely subtext, though its there too, I don't see the "we cannot be friends, so we have to end up together thing" if anything its more of a "we fell in love because we were friends and without friendship being there, there could be no romance. friendship was the foundation" if you go by sheer volume of romances that are released every, then sure - well written friends to lovers is a small percentage. but even 1% of say 100,000 books is 1000 books which is quite a lot of books so... /shrug
@@Forgefaerie I haven't conducted any polls, nor do I any longer get my romance from actual novels (I get it from fanfiction because over there friends to lovers is a thing of beauty), so yup I am not the most knowledgeable in the area. But my comment was more about me not having seen this trope done well than about not seeing it enough :D
"fifty shades of grey, which is an outlier and perhaps should not be counted."
i SEE your tumblr meme reference. i SEE IT.
You opened my eyes!!
The editing in this video gave me tingles
I wish every episode had a list of all the books referenced and shown in each episode. Because I personally want to go balls deep in some of these genres!
Thanks for some context about the romance novel, Lindsey!
Yayyy! More Lindsay!
Love that the map at the end is Paris ;) real subtle pbs
TBH I don’t read, don’t like to read (ADD and way too impatient to enjoy it although willing to listen to audiobooks from time to time) but I could listen to Lindsey discuss literature for daaaaaays!!!
i just found his channel and i freaking love it and have been binge watching this instead of reading 🤫❤️!!!
I don't really get the hate for romance, but I do. It's almost as if we need to, I don't know, Apologize to Stephenie Meyer? =)
But really, writing romance is FUN yo! There is nothing more joyful than writing a whole paragraph of alliteration about bodice ripping.
As a culture we do. Like, to a certain extent it's not even her fault most of the real faults in it. Where was her editor? A writer without a good editor will almost always put out a pretty crap product, and those books scream "needed six more months of revision". But there *is* a good story in there, and it's not her fault that there's cultural pressures leading to an abusive relationship being something ladies (especially young ladies) gravitate to.
She's like a modern day Charles Dickens, without the excuse of being paid by the word for losing the story in the weeds. But again... that's the editor's job to help her work through. And she's gotten a lot better, with practice, as all artists do.
Though that's not really a romance novel, by the video's definition. It's urban fantasy with heavy romance plot. Now, do we need to apologize to E.L. James? Probably also, but for less I think. Like, a lot of the criticisms for FIfty Shades *is* justified beyond just kink-shaming women for liking sex, but in a similar vein where the hell was *her* editor too?
Iunno. There's gotta be a better compromise here in larger culture, between accepting subpar problematic works and writing off the entire genre (which ends up accomplishing the same thing). I know that inside the genre these constructive conversations have been happening for decades. We just need to pull them out of the shadowy corners.
Thessalin it's blatant wish fulfillment which always gets shit upon. Look at any exploitation film or pulp fiction.
I love stories about interesting people falling in love. Its the best 💜💋
+Sudev Sen Blatant male wish fulfillment is far less shit upon than female wish fulfillment, it's usually just passed off as "It's just fun shlock" (e.g. every James Bond movie ever).
Agilemind not true at all. Detectives novels, cheap swords and sorcery gunk, all the SciFi pulp were and are considered lowbrow.
As for movies there are a lot of popular "chick flicks"
... Didn't Catherine die in Wuthering Heights, and the story is sort of about how she died or the events leading up to it? Doesn't that disqualify it from being a "proper" romance novel per se?
Meh, evolution in the genre. lol
That and Darcy isn't a true "alpha" hero however a lot of characters based on him are so Evolution tracking wise it makes more sense to put them there it just what's makes sense with the evolution of it rather than whether it fits perfectly.
I often find that the specific piece called 'formative' of a certain genre differs from the tropes of that genre significantly; it's more of a jumping off point than a blueprint for everything to come, because that genre wasn't a distinct entity before.
Speaking of which... Yesterday was the 60th birthday of the singer-songwriter/recording artist that made possibly the most famous filk song ever, about this book!
iLikeTheUDK it's an influence, not necessarily of the genre. The genre didn't exist yet
4:17 - Still disappointed by the lack of Serra Elinsen's Awoken here...
I will also thank Patricia Highsmith for giving us "Strangers On A Train" which was made into a movie of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock. Verrrrry entertaining!
All my friends know that I enjoy reading romance books. I'm teased a bit but most of the time no one cares.
And I know that a lot of it isn't the best writing. But it's fun and I like it.
Morgan Heffernan thats true for all writing tho isnt it? Not all of it is going to be good and you are inevitably going to wade though piles of accessable dog manure and technicly readable bores to get to the things you enjoy personally.
Which is a very self-aware attitude. I get really bored with people trying to defend their favorite books as some kind of superior art form. It doesn't have to be art to be readable, you only have to enjoy it. If you do, no justification is needed.
@@silvasilvasilva amen.
Man I love this. I've been a fan of Lindsay for ages and I just love having more content from her, but esp about something I love so much!!
So, by your own definition, Wuthering Heights is not a romance novel. It's immediately disqualified since the story is tragic, and Catherine has been long dead, which we know even from the start of the novel, before we find out all the terrible circumstances of the tragic story which involved a lot of people being terrible to each other and exhibiting racism and classism, abusing each other, including the main character (Heathcliff) conducting a cruel, decade-long revenge scheme against two families. Catherine is also in just the first half of the novel, and the rest takes place years after her death.
It's also interesting to note that the initial critics described the novel as a brutal story about revenge, considered it unsuitable for gentle female minds, and one critic thought that the author must be a rough sailor or someone similar. That was, of course, when the author was known as "Ellis Bell". Once the public learned that "Ellis" and his "brothers" were all women, later critics started classifying Wuthering Heights as a romance. Which says a lot...
Animation for this episode was memorably witty and fun.
I now have more respect for what romance does for women. Even if I respect rather few romances.
Just because it's not for you doesn't mean it is "bad". Nor are you under any obligation to like something just because it is "good".
They do alright whether or not they have your respect. That's what's great and trashy about them, they’re not for you. They're shamelessly about female desires
*applauds 83croissant *
Jeremiah Bok
*not sure if sarcastic or not*
**not sarcastic a'tall** :)
The difference between the tastes, in the written world, anyway ( I can't speak to the real) of the Bronte sisters is VERY huge. I do not see Wuthering Heights as a romantic novel because there is very little romance in the actions of the heroes; Their circumstances are ripe for romantic fantasy but they do not follow through; It is a fantastic character study and one of my favorite books of all time but leaning into the romantic aspect, like the 1939 movie did, usually guts the story of the darkness it needs to make it truly great. Jane Eyre, on the other hand, has romance pouring out of its every orifice ( Though I have little experience in this vein, I could even see a bisexual awakening angle being read with the innocent love of Helen arc); Love is not only centre to the plot, it is actually practiced in thought and deed, and there is a lot of purple prose; The arc of each of the central characters is not only necessary for the romance to bloom but for it to exist: This is a high quality romance novel(Except for Rochester getting his sight back. I stab that hard).
So anybody other than me notice that the captions contain more points than she actually voiced over in the video? Obviously some bits of the script got cut for time. Still a fun watch, though!
Yes, it is extremely frustrating for those of us who rely on captions to make sense of the audio.
Lindsay is the best, thank you PBS
I'm surprised you didn't mention The Sheik novel, which was considered the oldest bodice ripper novel as it came out in 1919.
So good!
Great animation, great writing, great video!
Aaaa a I would've loved to watch Lindsay on PBS as a kid!!
Great video and I love that you mentioned LGBT books.
Great video!! Can we get more genre-spotlight videos, please?~
(Thank you for making and sharing your amazing work!
You can also add another branch to the romance novel: otome games. While they're not books per se, they are romance novels just in game form where you choose a response for the heroine that decides how the romance will turn out. Also otome are primarily Japanese made, so it's an insight on how a different culture views this genre. There are plenty of different types of otome romances too, just like the dime-store romance novel.
Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave series is stellar, I recommend it. There's definitely some shit I could complain about, but it's honestly a good read for the paranormal genre.
I loved this
AT 4:41 I PAUSED THE VIDEO AND COULD GENUINELY NOT STOP LAUGHING FOR A SOLID MINUTE
I love these videos and I wish they got more views
What! This is awesome! Also curious now to see what the “Great American Read” will be 😊
Annie Cox oh it's definitely going to be Harry Potter. I wish it wasn't, but it's on the list and its fans are the most fervent. Either that or Atlas Shrugged. Ayn Rand fans have been known in the past to game polls like this by having multiple accounts
I love this
I find it hilarious that the dudebro/chad speak of "alphas" and "betas" probably comes from cheesy romance novels 👌😂
Don't forget Awoken!
📘 Thank You!
Great job Ellis!
On one hand I absolutely love the romance novel! Historical novels are my favorite. On the other hand, I love science fiction/ speculative novels. Time travel being my favorite. I can get my hands on a novel that combines the two, in some way,shape or form, I am in heaven!
wicked and the wallflower is very good
I don't know the books you named, my encouter with romance novels was mainly with a francophone African romance novel editing house. But most of your analytical point are transferable, plus the facr grear depicotion of theircountry/region the author made. Reading those novels made me feel like I was traveling though Africa
OMG lindsey gets work I am so happy get it girl
Lindsay nearly choking as she forced herself to say "Jonathan Franzen" cracked me up.
Is Lindsay a PBS exclusive contributor now? She has not update her own TH-cam channel as of late.
Wow, she just did!
Do Mystery next!
Love Lindsay Ellis! Expert of movies and books!
I'm both shocked and not shocked that Anne Rice wasn't discussed here. She sort of fits into every point made, and in that way I think she warrants her own discussion
You could get arrested for subscribing to a queer magazine????
Jesus. “Good old days”, yeah right.
Between the Covers is on netflix, it's an excellent documentary on the modern romance industry, where it got it's roots, and some of the women who work in it, so if you liked this you'd probably like that!
Thank you, I have been telling people The Fault in our stars isnt romance
Some of us also just want our bodices ripped 🤷♀️
I friggin love this!!! So awesome!! Lmao!!
YES!
I'm quite surprised that a certain romance novel titled "Awoken" wasn't mentioned in this video....
I love Lindsay!
Lindsay Ellis on PBS? Yes please.
I was so sure we were going to see Awoken in here somewhere. What a shame.
Hey, what's going on with the captions? They seem to be really fast and include a lot of words that aren't spoken in the actual video. Did you copy in an earlier draft and let it auto-populate?