Welcome to my new site!
Read No-Injury Policy
C.M. HUMPHRIES
  • Home
  • Less Taken Pod
    • Less Taken Blog
    • Store
  • Library
    • No-Injury Policy >
      • All Things Beautiful Excerpt
      • Facade
  • Delusions (Blog)
  • Connect
  • Home
  • Less Taken Pod
    • Less Taken Blog
    • Store
  • Library
    • No-Injury Policy >
      • All Things Beautiful Excerpt
      • Facade
  • Delusions (Blog)
  • Connect

Forbidden Blog

Fear, focus, and the future. Here, C.M. Humphries writes about whatever. ​

7/24/2012

0 Comments

Casual Sex & Casual Reading

 

"Romance" In Literature

I wouldn't dare bore you with a comprehensive list of every novel containing sexual explicit material in this post. Honestly, I'm not even sure such a document could be composed considering the longevity of sexual encounters in fiction and the endless push of new romance novels that would make gothic romance authors, like Shelley or Coleridge, blush. It's no secret that sex and romance sell. The question really is WHY?
Picture

Romanticism 

The flood of romance novels is not a recent phenomena. For a bit of brief history, visit here. In short, though, romanticism started in Western Europe during the 17th century as a rebuttal to "The Age of Enlightenment", which influenced literature with reason and logic. The Age of Enlightenment made no room for emotions, experimentation, or individuality. Romanticism offered all of the aforementioned and more.


Although Germany and France still fight over who ignited the movement, it was the publication of "Lyrical Ballads" by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge around 1978 which more or less outlined the central elements of romantic literature. 

Elements of Romantic Literature

Picture
The serendipity of love is often the first dose we all get high on, and it's this first taste that we become addicted to. In reality, it's rather hard to describe the feeling of love. Some say it exists; others say it doesn't. Despite your view, there are certain circumstances in which we grow close to another person and can't get enough of them.


In literature, however, no one will wait 6,000 pages for the writer to accurately portray emotions such as love, so let's go with the outline that stems from the original romantic movement in literature. 


The main concerns in romanticism were the core feelings from human interaction and the horror felt by people when they started to embrace it. Remember, these were times when things went from peace to the chaos that ensued the Industrial Revolution. Let's face it, we all loved nature a lot more back then.


Romanticism also borrowed from folklore and popular art, which may also be why today's romance novels center around supernatural entities and the darker side to life. It's no surprise the bestselling romance novels focus on vampires, zombies, werewolves, demons, and so on. Although today's vampires may be a slap in the face to Bram Stoker, they still serve a similar purpose: We long for a stranger to come into our lives and reveal who we really are. Love could be considered a type of self-realization only someone else can show us. Nature was always associated with self-identity - being one with the larger picture - and the creatures in romantic literature are often associated with the wilderness. From there, you simply connect the dots. Or do the "chemistry".



During the era of Gothic Romance, Coleridge actually used the Kubla Khan (well as much as poet literally refers to anything Interesting subject, but a completely different story). What's important here is why we like romance so much. I've explained how and romanticism came to be, but now we must wonder why there's so much sex in the bestselling books. Ideally, romance and sexual encounters are different and should not replace each other.
 


So why would there be less romance and more sex now?

Dr. Helen Fisher on Sex

You Might Also Enjoy:

Characteristics of Romanticism
Helen Fisher Website
Zombies Aren't Funny

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    About

    Fear, focus, and the future. C.M. Humphries talks about writing, horror, and whatever. 

    Archives

    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009

    Subscribe.
    ​We'll keep in touch.

SUBSCRIBE
Picture
© 2009-2022 C.M. Humphries. Any unauthorized use and/or duplication of the content without expressed and written permission from the site and content author/owner is prohibited by law. ​ Not intended for audiences under the age of 13 years old.
Photos used under Creative Commons from moedermens, hans s, gidovd, Federico Limonta, Marcin Wichary, heather aitken, Caren Mack Photography, Guilherme Yagui, Latente 囧 www.latente.it, miss_rogue, quinn.anya, Javier Kohen, sampitech, Gerald Gabernig, the_black_room, Bernt Sønvisen, jamalfanaian, andrewrennie, Elizabeth/Table4Five, quirin.thalhammer, swruler9284, Kryziz Bonny, Miguel Virkkunen Carvalho, chuck4x5, Mountain/\Ash, Jonathan Kos-Read, Niels_Olson, h.koppdelaney, Matthew Paul Argall, DidWee, Sweet One, osseous, Tony Webster, maf04, Gustavo Minas, poptech, r.nial.bradshaw, marcoverch, emilianohorcada, porschelinn, markbyzewski, dannywebs, amanessinger, declanandrews, Artotem, M. Martin Vicente, davescaglione, Gamma Man, ell brown, glasseyes view, LukeDetwiler, ephotography, Luiz Fernando / Sonia Maria, Filter Collective, cdedbdme, mhx, Enokson, gagilas, Max Wolfe, Ted Van Pelt, Sigfrid Lundberg, Sean Loyless, Mr. T in DC, Key Foster, marimbajlamesa, Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER, Vectorportal, Alberto_Montoya, carianoff, luc.viatour, >>> Silly Rabbit, Trix are for Kids <<<, electricnerve, Nanagyei, crimfants, Editor B, gordontarpley, eleanor ryan, eviltomthai, shanon wise, dutchlad, Rick Moerloos, Poetprince, david_shankbone, Kurt and Sybilla, Abode of Chaos, grilled cheese, quinn.anya, Xoan Baltar, Marko Milošević, little blue hen, uzi978, SweetOnVeg, procsilas, Robin Hutton, Thruhike98, zaneology, Cameron Nordholm, CarbonNYC, Enderst07, dollen, LunaMoth116, swanksalot, aturkus, ElvertBarnes, Paul Jerry, Pip R. Lagenta, Joshua Kaufman, currybet, Oh-Barcelona.com, Joe Shlabotnik, Will Folsom, Helena Liu, David.R.Carroll, Robert Bejil Photography, Patrick Doheny, Hachi Gatsu, Justin Marty, Julie Lyn, Scott LePage, Daquella manera, Markusram, ginnerobot, Zach Linder, StevenW., denn, h.koppdelaney, TheeErin, aaron.michels, davidflanders, Dustin and Jenae, Mike "Dakinewavamon" Kline, mr_t_77, gordontarpley, brewbooks, coconut wireless, Håkan Dahlström, Mr. T in DC, urbanshoregirl, cathyse97, The Cleveland Kid, iamliam, andy jou, 666isMONEY ☮ ♥ & ☠, julesxt, MonkeySimon, Carlos Aguilera Espinosa, twentymindsomething, Xanetia, ♣♦♥♠, vonguard, sillygwailo, Geraint Warlow, Alyssa L. Miller, chadmagiera, how will i ever, Parker Knight, Unhindered by Talent, wwarby, teresawer, Lo & Behold >> Shrie L. Spangler, Larry Tomlinson, magnetbox, Very Quiet, prendio2, j_anet, timhettler, David Boyle, hang_in_there, krossbow, robertrice, Schmirn, Fitsum Belay/iLLIMETER, an iconoclast, samlavi, Ron Bennetts, Jagz Mario, eugeneflores, LetTheCardsFall, Rochelle, just rochelle, JaseCurtis, Ivan Marianelli, Dave Catchpole, mike 23, ANSESGOB, Catalin Vrinceanu, kio, kevin dooley, Amanda M Hatfield, Smath., rick, Grace Hebert, auntjojo, Kryziz Bonny, jwillier2, Al Pavangkanan, anokarina, my camera and me, IntangibleArts, Pink Sherbet Photography, hodgers, arohasilhouettes, Neal., greenfaerietree, sidewalk flying, Miles B., Luxxian Flair, amelungc, romana klee, dcJohn, Mitchypop, simonsmith001, Bruna Schenkel, zayzayem, KJGarbutt, simonlesleyphoto, torbakhopper, Glutnix, Panegyrics of Granovetter, Karamellzucker, h.koppdelaney, Photos by Mavis, perpetualplum, FutUndBeidl, NASA Goddard Photo and Video, b0jangles, suburbandollar, UnnarYmir, ohdarling, amulonphotography, Zach Dischner, _Fidelio_, OakleyOriginals, andertoons, little blue hen, rococohobo, FutUndBeidl, Pop Culture Geek, ben.chaney, theilr, genvessel, mariachily, Seth Mazow, Looking Glass, jslee_, lindsayloveshermac, Brett Jordan, AndYaDontStop, danperry.com, functoruser, gcfairch, Mikamatto, Thomas Claveirole, goodnight_photography, cometstarmoon, Ack Ook, Don Hankins, celesteh, Pip R. Lagenta, Cpt<HUN>, stvcr, Andreas.