Worthwhile books: Romance category

[Innocent Bystander]

I used to have a copy of a translation of the Tale of Genji. It was an enormous Doorstop of a book. That doesn't deter me. I'll read anything. But this was tedious. People would sit around writing poems about how sad Autumn was. Apparently this is par for the course for the period the book was (books were) written. The romances I found completely impenetrable. I read it from end to end - twice - and could not make head nor tail of it. I got rid of it. It takes a lot for me to get rid of a book, especially if it's a classic, even a classic in another language.

You may find it fascinating. But I certainly didn't. And I like Japanese culture.

By contrast, the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon is not exactly a romance, but has a certain amount of romantic interest in it. It is fascinating in its detail of court life.

[Jack]

Brokeback Mountain is good. It's different from the movie.

[WyoBadger]

If he can handle an early Christian point of view, Quo Vadis is quite good. A Roman patrician soldier falls in love with a Christian peasant girl, and is both intrigued by her innocence and enraged that she won't...well, don't want to give too much away. Fascinating historically, spiritually, and romantically. AND told from the man's point of view.

T

[Flyingcursor]

The Ladies of the Club. Yeah. That one. I never read it but it sure is big and I see it at lots of book sales.

Justine and Juliette by the Marquis De Sade come readily to mind.

[Innocent Bystander]

I remember reading "Justine" when I was a teenager. Not sure if I managed to find a copy of "Juliette" though. I did find "180 journees de Sodom". And "Venus in Furs" by Sacher Masoch. They are not as fascinating as the teenage mind imagines them. It's worth reading them just to get them behind you.
It's stretching it to call them romances.

[Flyingcursor]

I remember reading "Justine" when I was a teenager. Not sure if I managed to find a copy of "Juliette" though. I did find "180 journees de Sodom". And "Venus in Furs" by Sacher Masoch. They are not as fascinating as the teenage mind imagines them. It's worth reading them just to get them behind you.
It's stretching it to call them romances.

I read the Justine and about 1/4 of Juliette and got bored. I read part of "180 days" and it wasn't much better than the others. I've never read Sacher Masoch but have always wanted to.

I was just joking about the "romance" aspect.

[dwest]

If he can handle an early Christian point of view, Quo Vadis is quite good. A Roman patrician soldier falls in love with a Christian peasant girl, and is both intrigued by her innocence and enraged that she won't...well, don't want to give too much away. Fascinating historically, spiritually, and romantically. AND told from the man's point of view.

T

Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz, author of Quo Vadis, is the greatest romantic writer of all time, shoot just his name proves it. His trilogy is the greatest work of European literature of all time! Blood, gore, guts, heart breaking chivalry, there is absolutely nothing else like it. It is what made him a Nobel Laureate.

[Sandy McLeod]

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, Sandman: The Dream Hunter is brief but a very good spinoff of an ancient Japanese tale. You have to believe not only in Gaiman but in the Japanese version of animal/human shape shifting. The reproductions of Amano sh*t's paintings are tremendous.

Sandy

[cowtime]

Oh I just had and idea,(scary when that happens) it's got the romance, WWII, but it's also just an entertaining read- not too deep, but not shallow either- might be just right-

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

[mutepointe]

So, what book(s) did "The Kid" get/read/turn down?

[emmline]

At the moment, he is finishing a book he already had, but presently, in the lineup are:
Neil Gaiman: Stardust
Laurell K. Hamilton: Guilty Pleasures
Lynn Kurland: Star of the Morning

Believe me, between his sorta late school days and Japanese Community College homework, this will do for now.

I am tempted to read some Neil Gaiman myself, but I've got my own lineup, not to mention Japanese and the rest of life. Eventually. Summer
reading maybe?

[emmline]

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, Sandman: The Dream Hunter is brief but a very good spinoff of an ancient Japanese tale. You have to believe not only in Gaiman but in the Japanese version of animal/human shape shifting. The reproductions of Amano sh*t's paintings are tremendous.

Sandy

I will definitely keep this in mind.