My doomed romances -- 20 troubled romances
My new novel, THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS, began as a re-imagining of “Romeo and Juliet.” I was watching my daughter as one of the Shark girlfriends in a Vermont production of WEST SIDE STORY --- Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, Stephen Sondheim, and Leonard Bernstein’s American musical version of Shakespeare’s classic love story --- and I realized three things:
1) I am seriously drawn to love stories that are transcendent and crazy;
2) I’m not alone. Many of us are drawn to love stories that are (shall we say) ill-advised; and
3) There is something unbelievably hypnotic about romance when the lovers are doomed --- or, at least, when it looks as if their love can’t possibly survive the third act.
So, when Bookreporter.com asked me to curate a bookshelf, I decided this corner of the library is for the Doomed Lovers --- or, at least, for those lovers who will need a whole lot of luck for their romance to survive. In most of these tales, the lovers have little in common. They’re from different backgrounds. Sometimes they’re not even the same species. In one of these books, the romance is between a golem and a jinni. In another, he’s human and she’s an angel. And in a third, he’s a male porn star who’s had most of his skin burned away and she’s...crazy. Or not.
In some cases, not even we as readers are rooting for them. (Raise your hand if you really want Humbert Humbert and Lolita to walk off into the sunset together. Yeah, not a lot of takers.)
Are all of these classics? Far from it.
Some had me laughing out loud, some merely smiling a little wistfully. Some are poignant and powerful and deeply moving.
For one reason or another, I enjoyed them all. And, in some cases, I can see how they influenced THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS --- a love story and literary thriller set in Florence and Tuscany in the waning days of World War II and the 1950s.
So, this summer, I raise my glass to the doomed lovers everywhere who sometimes --- against all odds --- actually make it.
To see the full list of 20, click here:
http://www.bookreporter.com/bookshelv...
(Chris's new novel, THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS, arrives on July 9.)
1) I am seriously drawn to love stories that are transcendent and crazy;
2) I’m not alone. Many of us are drawn to love stories that are (shall we say) ill-advised; and
3) There is something unbelievably hypnotic about romance when the lovers are doomed --- or, at least, when it looks as if their love can’t possibly survive the third act.
So, when Bookreporter.com asked me to curate a bookshelf, I decided this corner of the library is for the Doomed Lovers --- or, at least, for those lovers who will need a whole lot of luck for their romance to survive. In most of these tales, the lovers have little in common. They’re from different backgrounds. Sometimes they’re not even the same species. In one of these books, the romance is between a golem and a jinni. In another, he’s human and she’s an angel. And in a third, he’s a male porn star who’s had most of his skin burned away and she’s...crazy. Or not.
In some cases, not even we as readers are rooting for them. (Raise your hand if you really want Humbert Humbert and Lolita to walk off into the sunset together. Yeah, not a lot of takers.)
Are all of these classics? Far from it.
Some had me laughing out loud, some merely smiling a little wistfully. Some are poignant and powerful and deeply moving.
For one reason or another, I enjoyed them all. And, in some cases, I can see how they influenced THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS --- a love story and literary thriller set in Florence and Tuscany in the waning days of World War II and the 1950s.
So, this summer, I raise my glass to the doomed lovers everywhere who sometimes --- against all odds --- actually make it.
To see the full list of 20, click here:
http://www.bookreporter.com/bookshelv...
(Chris's new novel, THE LIGHT IN THE RUINS, arrives on July 9.)
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by
Marilyn
(new)
Jun 30, 2013 02:14PM
Points 1, 2, 3 . . . remind me of my own marriage. A Norwegian ice princess married to an older Italian. Ice and oil makes for a slippery slope, but we've duked it out (25 years in August). Silver medals will be presented at the party for each of us.
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Great list to help stimulate a reader's path.. Makes strange bedfellows as in some of Nancy Pearl's lists in "Book Lust".
OMG!! Bookreporter.com is probably my favorite weekly e-mail newsletter for book reviews, book news, etc.!! Carol Fitzgerald is absolutely wonderful. You have quite a selection of books on your new shelf. I have read several already and look forward to reading some of the others.
BTW, I am counting down the days to "The Light in the Ruins" . . . come on July 9!! I received a reminder on my Outlook calendar over the weekend. The book has been on my reading list since I first learned of it. I downloaded the excerpt you offered and will add the whole book to my Kindle when it officially comes out.
Take care. Thank you for being so resonsive to your fans!!
Lynn Jarrett
Oklahoma
