I recently joined a "trashy bookclub". We started by reading a somewhat trashy book. However, everyone decided that they would rather not spend time reading books they weren't really interested in so we modified it a bit to "books that wouldn't make pretentious book lists."
Recently, we read the book "Austenland". I absolutely thoroughly loved it. It is about a young woman who seems to base all of the men she meets upon the Mr. Darcy character from "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. As you can imagine, this has some negative consequences. A rich relative dies and leaves her a two week vacation in an immersive Jane Austen experience. Here she is confronted with her own neurotic ideas about love and relationships. She learns something from this experience. And while not entirely cured of her odd notions (it is only a two week vacation), she grows up a little. She also finds romance.
I admit the character is odd and neurotic and not entirely likable at times. But, I also really identified with her. I think the fact that she wasn't "practically perfect in every way" was refreshing and made the store that much more believable. And, yes the romance was a little over the top at times, but there was truth to that kind of falling in love...I know because parts of it reminded me of my own romance story.
Others in the book club did not share my viewpoints. They felt that it was a negative example of women spending all their time looking for a man and that the reason women were neurotic was because of books like this. While I respect their right to feel differently about the book, it does trigger the one thing that bothers me....why does everything always have to make a statement?
Don't get me wrong. There are all sorts of things in our culture that anger me about how women are treated and viewed and occasionally repressed. I am also truly grateful for women like Susan B. Anthony and the suffragettes who made great strides for women's rights. Feeling respect and pride in what these women have done does not mean that I can't love a really great romance.
And the truth is, while I am a strong and confident woman in my own right, I am also neurotic. I am imperfect. I like cake more than exercise. I get angry about the injustices of the world but do nothing about them. I have very strong opinions about the right types of paperclips. I snore and talk in my sleep. I get up tight when things aren't put away and the doors aren't locked in triplicate. And, while I may not be proud of these things, they are a part of who I am.
The author created a story that contained some truth. Reading a book about a woman with some slightly neurotic tendencies, spoke to me. And the somewhat unrealistic romance....it left me breathless. I was moved in a way that I haven't been in quite some time and I really love escaping into fiction.
Her second book "Midnight in Austenland" involves a mystery and some more intrigue. However again in this book, a woman who has broken by love is able to find a chance to have it again. No, a woman's whole worth does not center on whether or not she has a man. I don't believe that at all. I do however believe that love is a beautiful amazing thing to be blessed with. It doesn't make a person more complete but it can make life better in its own way. If love wasn't that magical, we wouldn't allow ourselves to be so hurt by it.
I do think both books (particularly the second) make a strong statement about the importance of finding one's own strength. It can have a healing effect and can open doors. Both heroines found love after they found their own confidence, and the men they found, loved them for who they were...neuroses and all.
All that aside, these books won't make the top of women's lib fiction. They do both contain beautiful stories. I really love a good beautiful story and particularly a beautiful romance.
