The Romance Novel

The most popular and best-selling fictional genre in the United States and Canada is the romance novel, a category divided into series romances and single title romances. However, these books are not, as some critics say, literary pornography. Basically, romance novels are about females who are or will become the heroes of their own stories.
Romance novels are usually distributed as paperbacks and written to titillate, entertain and educate a massive and diverse reading public (numbering 51 million in the United States) by providing stories that are plot-driven, richly character developed and romantic.
Romance is the most popular type of fiction in contemporary literature, containing much more explicit sex than in any other mainstream genre. The novels do not necessarily portray weak women subjugated by men, but the 90 percent female readership participates in a virtual reality, which other fiction genres fail to focus upon.
Words and music are said to excite and turn on women more so than visuals. Explicit romantic erotica aimed at women can not, and should not be considered pornography. Women do not like to admit that they enjoy romance novels, but studies have determined that there is nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, romance novels have increasingly found their way into women's studies and literature classes at various universities.
As two lovers remain apart, romance novels sustain a sexual tension, but when the love is finally consummated, it is not gratuitous and should lead to a satisfying and optimistic ending inspired by emotion.
But what of the man, the other half of the equation in a romantic novel? With the expansion of the romance novel into other genres such as science fiction and military male readership has increased. Most men read their first romance because of their curiosity. They want to find out what women find so fascinating about the stories.
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Don Canaan is the chief bottle washer for the following web sites:
http://www.beatricefairfax.com (romance novels), http://www.israelfaxx.com (news from Israel)