The romance novel is perhaps the most maligned of all fiction genres, but romance writers and readers can take solace in its soaring books sales, with romance and romantasy genre fiction on track to dominate the publishing industry in 2025. What exactly is a “romance novel” and why does it attract so much disdain, considering its undeniable popularity? In this course, we will trace the literary roots of romantic fiction, especially those novels that have given rise to the contemporary “bodice ripper,” reading novels by Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and E.M. Forster. Moreover, we will examine some of the most popular examples of the genre from the last 25 years, from romantasy fiction and hockey romance stories to Julia Quinn’s historical romance juggernaut, the Bridgerton novels. To contextualize the billion-dollar romance book industry, we will read several chapters from Pamela Regis’s A Natural History of the Romance Novel, a critical reconsideration of the genre.
Semester Offered
Spring