Love Story or Romance?

[johnnysannie]

I've been reading some of Nicholas Spark's novels - which I like - and I noticed that he says he writes "love stories". To me, there is not a big difference between love stories and romance novel. Obviously, Spark's books are not category romance but to me they are in the same ballpark as books by authors like Barbara Delinksy.

Is there a difference or is it only that Nicholas Sparks is a man and the common belief is that men don't write romance?

[Poetic Pen]

Perhaps he classifies them as love stories instead of romance because not all his books have the happy ever after ending.

[johnnysannie]

That's a possibility but the ending of "At First Sight" reminded me very much of the ending of one of Barbara Delinksy's - both end after the birth of a child and the death of the mother but her books are dubbed romance.

I'm sure some others will weigh in and we'll get a variety of opinions!!

[nevada]

I bet it's all marketing. There are, I'm sure, tons of people who read Nicholas Spark who say they would never read "romance." Let's face it, romance has a bad name for a lot of people. They perceive it all to be the bodice ripper stuff that was so popular in teh 70's and 80's. By labelling him "romance" the publisher would cut his reading base. So they call it "love stories" and they rake in the millions. Everything comes down to sales.

[Maprilynne]

I agree, Nevada. They probably market it as a mainstream love story to reach a larger audience. I have a friends who's soft sci-fi just sold and they will be marketing it mainstream (which is really good for her.)

Maprilynne

[piscesgirl80]

I've been thinking about that, too. Stephen King describes his new novel as a "love story" also. As y'all have said, I think there are a couple of reasons for this and Mr. Sparks' marketing. One, as johnnysannie mentioned, is the idea that "real men don't write romance" . Two, as nevada said, some people have negative stereotypes about romance novels (or other "genre" fiction.)

It's funny how in American society, we can take such care to define similar things in entirely different ways.
:tongue

[Susan Gable]

By definition (as per Romance Writers of America), a romance requires a happy ending, not one in which the main character is dead. :) Men seem to like to kill off their main characters in a love story. In fact, if you recall the original - Love Story. Yep, female main character bites the dust. (opps, I hope that wasn't a spoiler. <G> )

Things are changing a little bit though, in the romance genre. Happy endings used to mean marriage and only marriage of your protagonists. Now some of them are just happy endings that have the hero and heroine still in love in a committed relationship.

Susan G.