Gracie Learns of Romance Novels

Gracie's daughter encourages her to write a romance novel. Gracie demurs -- since she's never read one, how could she write one? She decides to do some research, egged on by the astonishment and teasing of some of her friends. "What do you mean, you have never read a romance novel!?" They say, amazed.  Gracie is taken aback by these women's reactions.    They are bright and intelligent, some with multiple degrees....  Gracie, though she is a bit stunned by her friends' comments, thinks, "Maybe I'm missing something in my life."  If her friends' disbelief hadn't been tempered by amused affection, she might almost have felt rebuked.  Gracie decides to use this as an opportunity to learn something new.  

To the internet:  Search: Romance Novel Genre. She considers "The Bride" by Julie Garwood, but after two traumatic ventures into matrimony, Gracie isn’t about to open that title. Abandoning the Internet, she tries the local thrift shop where she learns that they don’t sell books.  However, the proprietor is enthusiastically willing to help and calls her mother on the phone to get some ideas.  Gracie is fascinated that the clerk drops everything, finds her cell phone and calls her mother all before Gracie can say  "I really don't want to impose..." which wouldn't have been actually true as she does want the information.  She departs with a list of titles and authors. 

Returning home she canvases her four female neighbors; she asks a) do you read romance novels? b) if so, could  you recommend a title  or lend me  a book? House 1 loads her up with four books; house 2 gives an additional five to her and house three tells her that house four won't have any as that neighbor would never read a romance novel even if it was printed on environmentally friendly paper. One neighbor gives a book to her explaining that while she hasn't read it, she's heard it's quite popular. 

Gracie resolves to read that one first but not until after her lunch date.  Lunch is interesting. She thanks Heaven that she's done raising her children, as the group of mothers discuss their concerns about autoerotic asphyxiation, bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism which is ravaging the high schools.  Really?  Sure, she is a generation older than the women at the table, but she is truly perplexed. What happened to "make love not war"? Surely in a mere 40 years society couldn't have gone from free love to the idea that abuse is lovemaking? That’s a stretch by any standard. The women of the '60s early '70's wanted nothing to do with bondage, abuse or dominance. They were able to stand on their own two feet.  They burned their bras and didn't wear underpants, well, until the first time they caught their pubic hair in the zipper.  What happened to flowers, love letters, caresses, laughter and kindness? So it is easily understandable that Gracie is shocked when she learns that some women willingly subject themselves to cruelty instead of insisting on loving passion and tenderness.  

She pays her part of the check and heads home to the couch to embark upon her first romance novel.  This should be an escape from the discomfiture of lunch. She deposits herself in a supine position on the small green leather sofa draping her legs over the arm. She opens the book and reads: “I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror damn my hair - it just won't behave.”(1)  She carries on in growing disappointment. She tries not to let the poor writing deter her from her goal of reading a romance novel by week's end. Around page 48 is when the "hero" goes to a hardware store for ropes and chains. A light bulb suddenly goes off in Gracie's head as she realizes that the lessons from lunch are right before her eyes.

She grabs the cell phone and calls one of her lunch mates for some clarity.  To her dismay, she learns that the lunch conversation was not only the topic of the book but that it was this very friend's child's favorite book.  What?!  How can such bright, intelligent kids be into this? The writing is dismal, the content appalling.

It is sad. Downright sad and wrong that so many are being deceived into believing that enduring or inflicting physical pain can be an expression of love. Gracie knows what abuse is as well as the joys love making. These young adults may never know joy, tenderness, kindness, laughter or wrestling passion freely given and received in an intimate loving relationship.  They are trading real love for abuse, degradation, and slavery. Gracie weeps for womanhood, her friends and their daughters.  

Foot note one. Page One, Chapter One, Fifty Shades, E. L. James

Copyright © 2014 Martina Sabo