Few people realize the courage it takes for a woman to open a romance novel on a plane. She knows what people are thinking when they see a bare chested Fabio on her jacket cover. They don’t appreciate, as she does, real “heaving chests,” “tender violence” and “sensuous innocence.” But millions of women like her do.
Romance novels account for nearly half the paperbacks sold in this country, racking up a billion dollars a year in sales. They are translated into over 20 languages and published in over 100 international markets. They’re novels written by women for women.
And while some feminists say these books perpetuate male domination and female subservience, fans say romance novels are all about female empowerment. The heroines are feisty, smart and tenacious. They win the hero by taming his machismo and having him get in touch with his emotional side. And the endings are always happy.
(Hosted by Christopher Lydon)
Guests:
Michele Jaffe, author of The Water Nymph and The Stargazer.