A question I regularly get asked is what kind of books I like reading. My answer is the same every time - I'll give pretty much anything a try if someone tells me it's a book worth reading. This is true and yet, of course, like every other reader I have my preferred genres.
Whilst every genre has its eager proponents, one of the most maligned is romance. Often regarded as light, fluffy nonsense, in its purest sense of the genre, it is far removed from the books so commonly (and unfairly) dismissed as 'chick lit'. Here are my top romantic book choices.
"I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope."
Always vying with Pride and Prejudice as my favourite Jane Austen novel, Persuasion is a story of love which survives in spite of the obstacles it has to overcome. Even separated, for ten years, Anne and Captain Wentworth's love is still present and determining their actions. This book is a testament to the longevity of true love. In Anne and Wentworth, we find two individuals we can be confident will remain happy, even after we close the final page on their story.
"I cannot let you burn me up, nor can I resist you. No mere human can stand in a fire and not be consumed."
The central concept of this book is a forbidden love affair, which unwinds with exquisite slowness. Unusually perhaps, it never leaves the reader with a sense of wanting them to 'just get on with it', instead, we understand their hesitations. The pain experienced by the main characters feels all too real to the reader and our hearts break alongside theirs. This is a book I have read and then listened to and will probably revisit both in the near future - it's one of those which never quite leaves my consciousness.
“Long after Pacifiique's gay whistle had faded into the phantom of music and then into silence far up under the maples of Lover's Lane Anne stood under the willows, tasting the poignant sweetness of life when some great dread has been removed from it. The morning was a cup filled with mist and glamor. In the corner near her was a rich surprise of new-blown, crystal-dewed roses. The trills and trickles of song from the birds in the big tree above her seemed in perfect accord with her mood. A sentence from a very old, very true, very wonderful Book came to her lips, "Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.”
In the third book of the series, Anne and Gilbert finally admit their feelings for each other, or rather Anne does - Gilbert was a lot quicker to realise he was in love! I don't mind admitting to shedding a tear along with Anne when she gets the news that Gilbert will recover. This is another partnership which feels very real and survives all the ups and downs life throws at it.
"I told her, In Italy, they used to blame the influence of the constellations for making them sick—that’s where influenza comes from. Bridie took that notion in stride. As if, when it’s your time, your star gives you a yank—”
Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Flue epidemic, Julia and Bridie find solace in each other's company, falling in love. The novel takes place over a mere three days, but packs so much in, it's easy to forget how quickly everything happens. It's harder to dismiss the depth of the love.
“You see, there are two kinds: the surface and the deep water. Now, Aphrodite emerged from foam, remember? Foam love is a nice feeling, but just as superficial. When it’s gone, it’s gone, nothing remains. Always aim for the kind of love that comes from the deep.”
Love is at the very heart of this novel set partly in Cyprus during the war between the Greek and Turkish communities. Kostas and Defne meet in a taverna where a tree grows through the centre. This taverna is run by Greek Yiorgios and Turkish Yusuf, who have to hide their love for more reasons than their nationalities. Torn apart by war, the rest of the book tells the story of how Kostas and Defne's love survives when nothing else does.
I may not be a huge fan of HEA in novels (although I love them in real life) - on the whole, I like my books to be more realistic in this department - but I do enjoy reading about strong, healthy love which overcomes the difficulties life likes to throw at people. I want characters I can care about (and yes, even fall a little bit in love with) and I want strong women who live their own lives, choosing to have a partner, but not being so wholly dependent on them that they lose their own identity. All these books have that, but more importantly, they are brilliantly written stories.
Comments