Popular Romance Novels Research Articles

Smoke and mirrors: Event patterns in the discourse structure of a romance novel

This article investigates a paradox in popular romance novels. On the one hand, the plot of the typical popular novel of any genre consists of a series of actions, most of which are initiated by the main character. On the other hand, the ideal heroine in a romance is passive and therefore should be initiating few actions of any sort. An analysis of the climax of a novel by Barbara Cartland, an extremely popular and prolific romance writer, shows that she uses a series of stylistic strategies to resolve this paradox. Some of these strategies up-grade the apparent activity of the heroine, while others down-grade the actions of her opponents. In addition, the events of the climax as a whole are inflated by placing many of them in non-real contexts, such as dreams, threats, or memories.

Relationship styles in popular romance novels, 1950 to 1983

This study examines the rhetorical visions of male/female relationship styles in category romances, tracing the development of fantasy themes over 33 years. While the four distinct visions emerge from a common genre, each creates distinct symbolic gender prescriptions for ideal male and female role and interaction behavior. In the 1950s, romance novel relationships were basically complementary. This behavior mode was challenged in the 1960s and 1970s novels by tentative female rebellion to male dominance. It was replaced in the early 1980s romances with a symmetrical relationship style when both sexes began to share traits formerly considered gender‐specific.