Rom Coms, why not?
I’ve read this blog so I know this goes off on a tangent.
Anyway, Rom Coms why not? I’m not the target audience but the Com, bit does stand for comedy so… Since often the examples in this genre owe a debt to the works of Jayne Austin and given Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite reads; Rom Coms, why not?
A quick tangent about age. Age of the books, that is. Many people will criticise Jayne Austin’s work for being cliché, overdone. I’ve heard similar criticism of H.G. wells too, how the science doesn’t quite work or somesuch. Can we please cut the classics a little slack, given the authors were not gifted with our level of hindsight.
On a similar point, the language of a Jayne Austin novel can be a little difficult to understand. Personally, like a good John Wyndham book, I love the phrases, and platitudes of days long gone. But that’s a personal choice, might not work for everyone.
Back to Pride and Prejudice, I enjoy the plot, the individual characterisation of the cast, the binds and obligations these people of polite society find themselves trapped in. We would cut through a lot of this stuff nowadays with a few foul words. But this is a more gentile age.
The protagonist of the novel is Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters, the offspring of the amusing Mr Bennet. Two of my favourite characters right there. Elizabeth is witty, clever, wrong, mistaken rather, stubborn; being too clever to endure the follies of her times. And Mr Bennet is a source of amusement throughout.
Another point other characters are rendered brilliantly, all the Bennet girls and their leader, Mrs Bennet. The selection of male characters, each flawed, each different. The beautiful ladies of the high society, maybe only externally beautiful
There appears a confusion, the idea of an enjoyable Rom Com and the knowledge that stories need conflict. I mean, it’s Romance meets Comedy, where’s the conflict in that?
This idea got me thinking about, important, intelligent books with small conflicts. With limited fight scenes, hopefully, no explosions. Conflicts where the fate of the world or the universe, maybe only half the universe, does not hang in the balance. I am so bored with helicopter explosions and car chases. Let’s have conflict nearer home, a more local, personal level.
Let’s free flow a list of small scale conflict books, then put it in alphabetical order in the edit.
As a small disclaimer, I’ve not read all these books.
Think of the scale of conflict in each tale.
Hamlet, my favourite story of all time. The fate of all Denmark. Granted a couple of cannons get let off, Boom!
Fahrenheit 451, my favourite novel of all time. Some Guy looking for a good read.
Animal Farm, all the action of a small English country farm. But yes, the Windmill. Boom!
A Christmas carol, one man’s overnight fight with indigestion.
Don Quixote, one man and his friend’s crusade against the terror of windmills. (No I’ve never read this one.)
Frankenstein, man makes, rejects and chases after a monster.
Good Omens, averting Armageddon with humour.
The grapes of wrath, the effects of the American depression on a poor family.
The handmaid's tale, female victims of a mad world.
Lord of the Flies, a group of boys left alone for too long.
Moby Dick. A man battles the great white whale.
The old man and the sea. An old man’s fishing trip.
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest, events in a hospital.
Othello, jealously. Try swapping the characters of Hamlet and Othello around, there’s two new plays, straight away.
Romeo and Juliet, a couple of young lovers falling for the wrong person.
Watership Down, the stress of Rabbits moving home.
Hey, suggest more in the comments. That was a bit of fun.
Hope the above reinforces, the idea, your story doesn’t have to have huge stakes to make it worthwhile.
Enjoy what you like and if the end of the world is your thing, or it’s last-minute salvation, I’m sure you are not alone.
Hopefully, if you got this far you enjoyed today’s ramblings. Thank you for your time.
TJ.
Anyway, Rom Coms why not? I’m not the target audience but the Com, bit does stand for comedy so… Since often the examples in this genre owe a debt to the works of Jayne Austin and given Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite reads; Rom Coms, why not?
A quick tangent about age. Age of the books, that is. Many people will criticise Jayne Austin’s work for being cliché, overdone. I’ve heard similar criticism of H.G. wells too, how the science doesn’t quite work or somesuch. Can we please cut the classics a little slack, given the authors were not gifted with our level of hindsight.
On a similar point, the language of a Jayne Austin novel can be a little difficult to understand. Personally, like a good John Wyndham book, I love the phrases, and platitudes of days long gone. But that’s a personal choice, might not work for everyone.
Back to Pride and Prejudice, I enjoy the plot, the individual characterisation of the cast, the binds and obligations these people of polite society find themselves trapped in. We would cut through a lot of this stuff nowadays with a few foul words. But this is a more gentile age.
The protagonist of the novel is Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters, the offspring of the amusing Mr Bennet. Two of my favourite characters right there. Elizabeth is witty, clever, wrong, mistaken rather, stubborn; being too clever to endure the follies of her times. And Mr Bennet is a source of amusement throughout.
Another point other characters are rendered brilliantly, all the Bennet girls and their leader, Mrs Bennet. The selection of male characters, each flawed, each different. The beautiful ladies of the high society, maybe only externally beautiful
There appears a confusion, the idea of an enjoyable Rom Com and the knowledge that stories need conflict. I mean, it’s Romance meets Comedy, where’s the conflict in that?
This idea got me thinking about, important, intelligent books with small conflicts. With limited fight scenes, hopefully, no explosions. Conflicts where the fate of the world or the universe, maybe only half the universe, does not hang in the balance. I am so bored with helicopter explosions and car chases. Let’s have conflict nearer home, a more local, personal level.
Let’s free flow a list of small scale conflict books, then put it in alphabetical order in the edit.
As a small disclaimer, I’ve not read all these books.
Think of the scale of conflict in each tale.
Hamlet, my favourite story of all time. The fate of all Denmark. Granted a couple of cannons get let off, Boom!
Fahrenheit 451, my favourite novel of all time. Some Guy looking for a good read.
Animal Farm, all the action of a small English country farm. But yes, the Windmill. Boom!
A Christmas carol, one man’s overnight fight with indigestion.
Don Quixote, one man and his friend’s crusade against the terror of windmills. (No I’ve never read this one.)
Frankenstein, man makes, rejects and chases after a monster.
Good Omens, averting Armageddon with humour.
The grapes of wrath, the effects of the American depression on a poor family.
The handmaid's tale, female victims of a mad world.
Lord of the Flies, a group of boys left alone for too long.
Moby Dick. A man battles the great white whale.
The old man and the sea. An old man’s fishing trip.
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest, events in a hospital.
Othello, jealously. Try swapping the characters of Hamlet and Othello around, there’s two new plays, straight away.
Romeo and Juliet, a couple of young lovers falling for the wrong person.
Watership Down, the stress of Rabbits moving home.
Hey, suggest more in the comments. That was a bit of fun.
Hope the above reinforces, the idea, your story doesn’t have to have huge stakes to make it worthwhile.
Enjoy what you like and if the end of the world is your thing, or it’s last-minute salvation, I’m sure you are not alone.
Hopefully, if you got this far you enjoyed today’s ramblings. Thank you for your time.
TJ.
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