I got an interesting email today from a reader who is determined to finish the book but finds the subject matter "disturbing". I'm not sure what that meant. It is dark, to be sure. But she said that she "skipped some of the middle to find some happiness".
At first this sort of freaked me out. I don't expect everyone to like it, but so far reader feedback is overwhelmingly positive. It got me thinking about the nature of fiction. This book actually has a positive ending, but it is a hard road getting there. Does fiction always have to be positive? What about "disturbing"? Is that all right - as this reader suggested - if the reader is provoked to think, reconsider, learn?
It also got me thinking about romance fiction. This is not a genre romance by any stretch. It is an unusual story and doesn't fit neatly into the romance category. For one thing, it is about two men - who do not identify as gay. They stumble upon one another and fall in love - much to their own surprise. It isn't a typical gay romance. One issue I think the above reader may be having is that she has read a lot of M/M slash and formula gay romance, and this is totally different. What about romance? Does it need to be anything in particular? Does it need to fit a genre? Are you more comfortable when it does?
At first this sort of freaked me out. I don't expect everyone to like it, but so far reader feedback is overwhelmingly positive. It got me thinking about the nature of fiction. This book actually has a positive ending, but it is a hard road getting there. Does fiction always have to be positive? What about "disturbing"? Is that all right - as this reader suggested - if the reader is provoked to think, reconsider, learn?
It also got me thinking about romance fiction. This is not a genre romance by any stretch. It is an unusual story and doesn't fit neatly into the romance category. For one thing, it is about two men - who do not identify as gay. They stumble upon one another and fall in love - much to their own surprise. It isn't a typical gay romance. One issue I think the above reader may be having is that she has read a lot of M/M slash and formula gay romance, and this is totally different. What about romance? Does it need to be anything in particular? Does it need to fit a genre? Are you more comfortable when it does?