Comments on: Friday Fun Thread: Love Stories (not just for Valentine’s Day anymore)

By: from badass to bimbo?: (de)volving cover art - The Pursuit of Harpyness

from badass to bimbo?: (de)volving cover art - The Pursuit of Harpyness — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 07:01:23 +0000

[...] my recent Friday Fun Thread about favorite love stories, commenter Shadow Boxer recommended the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs as a fun example of genre fiction that offers a [...]

By: Shadow Boxer

Shadow Boxer — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:50:22 +0000

I enjoyed the middle three Auel books – the multiple rape scenes in the first were just too much for me, and the last book seemed rushed to me. Agree on the Outlander cycle, too! I love the complexity and realism of the characters. And she REALLY sticks close to the actual history.

I’ve been reading the Mercy Thompson books, by Patricia Briggs. It’s up to 5 books now. Werewolves, vampires, fae, and mechanics. The romance is part of the story, and really shows how life gets messy – she has adventures while trying to figure out her sex life. Mercy and Adam’s relationship develops slowly, and is very authentic. Warning though – Mercy is raped in the 3rd book, and the next two deal with the aftermath – PTSD, flashbacks and panic attacks. I like them because these are realistic relationships. So many SciFi/Fantasy books make relationships far too easy and formulaic.

By: kate

kate — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:11:01 +0000

I used to love Persuasion the best, too. But I reread it recently and found it… awkward. It might be because many of the things I liked about it now seem a bit… mawkish. Things that are totally era appropriate, like her staying at home and basically waiting around, read as too passive to me, now. But I am going to wait a bit and read it again, because I did love it so. I loved Anne’s character, I would like to love her again. I love that she is not overblown, but she is sensible and realistic. My favourite character in P&P is Charlotte Lucas, if that tells you anything. I want to read HER story.

Also, I FREAKING LOVE Gaudy night. I reread it regularly. It is one of my favourite books ever, so beautifully paced, so thoughtful, so emotional and intellectual all at once. I also loved the Laurie R. King books.

By: OlderThanDirt

OlderThanDirt — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:23:59 +0000

Since we all love Persuasion so much, why are all the movie versions so bad? The one with Ciaran Hinds wasn’t too bad, if I remember correctly, but I just watched one made in 2007 (?) that included in the final scene, Anne’s promise to Wentworth that she would be more decided in the future! Exactly the opposite of Austen’s conclusion!! It did have Anthony Head playing Anne’s father to perfection, I’ll give you that.

I want a Persuasion that’s the equal of the Colin Firth Pride & Prejudice.

By: emilyanne

emilyanne — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:50:13 +0000

Oh meant to add I also worship Persuasion, my favourite Austen as well (Northanger Abbey apart – I have a bit of a thing for silly gothic and like the fact that that book is so tongue in cheek)

By: emilyanne

emilyanne — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:49:08 +0000

Es – yay I love Tom and Polly. Fire and Hemlock is my go-to-comfort read. Plus I also second the Gaudy Night love.

As to any other recommendations – well I have a real soft spot for Dorothy Dunnett – Nicholas and Gelis from her Niccolo chronicles have the more mature relationship but part of me will always love Francis Crawford and Philippa Sommerville, it’s high romance, albeit well written, and meant to be, and my inner 15 year old will always love it.

Jean Auel totally passed me by btw, although I’m amazed by how many Americans I know love her. I remember being bored rigid by her books as a teenager, I was obviously missing out.

By: Amnesia

Amnesia — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:39:59 +0000

I’ve found others that prefer ‘Persuasion’ to ‘Pride and Prejudice’? Alas! I am not alone!

By: Endora

Endora — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:51:58 +0000

It’s been a long time since I’ve read ‘Persuasion’, and I think last time I wasn’t mature enough. I’ll have to give it another try. I do love ‘Pride and Prejudice’ though.

Others:

‘The Lover’ by Marguerite Duras. A beautifully-written story about a transgressive first love (teen/older man, white girl/Chinese man) in 1930s French Indochina, based on Duras’s own experience.

‘Sylvie’ by Gérard de Nerval. It’s quite short – a novella really – but perfection, about lost love and the passing of time.

‘The Pursuit of Love’, by Nancy Mitford. It’s not so much about love as the search for it, but it’s laugh-out-loud funny.

By: Ms. M

Ms. M — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:40:21 +0000

I loved Graceling also. Also loved the Tiffany Aching story arc. OK, I love YA romance plotlines. I just read the “Speaking to Dragons” series and enjoyed Princess Cimorene running away to live with dragons rather than marry the Prince. She eventually finds a good man in a subsequent book, who doesn’t expect her to fit into a stereotype.

By: KJ

KJ — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:11:21 +0000

In a classic vein, I love Much Ado About Nothing. It is such a classic love story- Beatrice and Benedict are prickly and antagonistic, but manage to overcome their antagonism and establish a relationship. I like to imagine their married life was full of quick-witted arguments, then making up spectacularly.