Books supply a romantic backdrop for Valentine’s Day

By Cortney Casey
C & G Staff Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by Erin Sanchez Gay Orr and Annie McGee show off some of the popular romantic novels available at their store, Paperback Outlet in Warren. Orr said the romance genre comprises about 80 percent of their inventory. Photo by Erin Sanchez Gay Orr and Annie McGee show off some of the popular romantic novels available at their store, Paperback Outlet in Warren. Orr said the romance genre comprises about 80 percent of their inventory.

Purchasing “Gone with the Wind” for circulation is a semi-regular occurrence at the Madison Heights Public Library.

“I have to buy a new copy, oh, every seven or eight years, because it’s read so much it gets worn out,” said head reference librarian Sally Arrivee. “It’s proven to be one of the most popular movies ever made, and one of the most popular books.”

Adoration for Margaret Mitchell’s sweeping Southern saga of love and loss is a sentiment with which Arrivee can empathize. Drawn into the book at age 10, she’s since devoured it more than 200 times, personally owns multiple editions as well as the sequels, and declares it at the top of her list for romantic reads.

“I think Rhett Butler is absolutely one of the most dashing heroes in modern fiction,” said Arrivee, who recalls dreaming of owning a green-sprigged muslin dress with hoopskirts and petticoats, just like Scarlett O’Hara. “He was the perfect foil for Scarlett.”

Whether you’re a Valentine’s Day detester seeking an attitude adjustment or an enthusiast looking to fan the flames of passion, bibliophiles like Arrivee can recommend plenty of fuel.

Currently, more than half of all fiction — 55 percent — technically falls into the romance genre, which has evolved over the years from tomes where a “chaste kiss” constituted the most erotic encounter to the early 1970s “bodice rippers,” said Arrivee.

“That’s where … the woman involved was between 16 and 21 — jailbait, practically,” she said. “The man might be in his late 20s or early 30s. She’s very headstrong, and he’s virile.”

When Arrivee worked in Harper Woods, she recalled, little old ladies would summon her and whisper, “I want something spicy.”

She, in turn, would show them how to “read the cover art,” which in the late ’80s and early ’90s, was a surefire way to determine the level of graphic content.

“The higher the man’s hand was on the woman’s thigh, the more skin that was shown, the more explicit the sex in the book,” she explained. “If the horse was bigger than the woman, then it was a Western.”

The romance genre can be subdivided into such categories as contemporary, historical and inspirational/Christian, with about a third — concerning characters like werewolves and vampires — classified as paranormal romance, said Arrivee. Her theory behind paranormal’s growing audience: “Pure, unadulterated escapism.”

At Paperback Outlet in Warren, romance novels make up about 80 percent of the inventory, said Gay Orr, who co-owns the store with Annie McGee.

Orr said she’s so inundated by romance novels on a daily basis that she tends to read other genres — “I’m more apt to read the men’s books,” she laughed — but the romantic tales are popular among her customers.

Her recommendations include “Miracle” by Deborah Smith, “Fancy Pants” by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, “Paradise” by Judith McNaught, and “Dream Man” and “Mr. Perfect” by Linda Howard, the latter of which takes place in Warren.

“She talks about Van Dyke. She talks about Mound. She talks about the car companies,” said Orr.

Nicholas Sparks, who’s penned several novels adapted into popular films, also is in high demand.

“His books are always romantic, although because he’s a male writer, he has a tendency to kill off the hero or the heroine,” Orr mused. “The love story’s beautiful, but the end is always,” grasping for a description, she added, “not depressing, because we expect it now from him.”

Like Arrivee and “Gone with the Wind,” Dave Ewick can immediately identify his favorite romantic title: “The Princess Bride,” both the book by S. Morgenstern and the movie adaptation starring Cary Elwes.

“I would say it’s a fun, adventure fairytale story of true love,” said Ewick, city librarian at the Southfield Public Library. “You don’t get those that much anymore.”

Also high on his list: “Enchantment” by Orson Scott Card and “Beauty” by Robin McKinley, “retellings” of “Sleeping Beauty” and “Beauty and the Beast,” respectively.

In a less traditional vein, there’s “Odd Thomas,” a novel by suspense author Dean Koontz in which the title character can communicate with the dead.

“The way that he writes the lead character, Odd Thomas, and his girlfriend, you can tell that he knows true love,” said Ewick. “To me, that’s kind of cool.”

And, as a roundup of romantic writing wouldn’t be complete without poetry, Ewick highlighted “True Love” by Robert Fulghum, “Ten Poems to Change Your Life” by Roger Housden, “The Invitation” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer and “Hearts That We Broke Long Ago” by Merle Shain.
 

Fawning over film

If you’re seeking a romantic boost with a lesser time investment — or just a great date night — there’s no shortage of love-laden movies, both classic and contemporary.

The film rendition of Nicholas Sparks’ “The Notebook,” about an elderly couple reliving their early years, made a lasting impression on Deborah Morrison of Roseville.

“Any time I think about ‘The Notebook,’ I cry,” she admitted.

Another favorite: “Castaway,” starring Tom Hanks as a plane crash survivor stranded on an uninhabited island.

“It’s not a typical romantic story,” said Morrison. “However, when I put myself in Tom Hanks’ position, you can see that his love for his wife got him through the roughest part of his life. To be deserted on an island — that is a great strength and great love to get through that.”

Dave Ewick, city librarian for the Southfield Public Library, listed a slew of suggestions, including “Roxanne,” “When Harry Met Sally,” “Casablanca,” “The Proposal,” “Somewhere in Time,” “Mamma Mia,” “The Sound of Music,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Don Juan de Marco,” “A Knight’s Tale,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Say Anything.”

On Facebook, Ewick saw one user insist that the first few minutes of the 2009 animated Pixar film “Up” — which feature a montage of scenes from elderly main character Carl Fredricksen’s long, loving marriage — were more romantic than anything he’s seen since.

“I think it’s terribly romantic; he does all this for his wife,” agreed Ewick, referring to Fredricksen’s journey to South America, accomplished by tethering his house to a fleet of balloons.

At the Bloomfield Township Public Library, Assistant Director Carol Mueller cited “Sleepless in Seattle,” the “Twilight” series, “Terms of Endearment,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Funny Girl,” “The Way We Were,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Something’s Gotta Give” as some of the top romance-themed movies among the facility’s patrons.

Also: “Any movie with Meg Ryan, Jennifer Aniston or Katherine Heigl,” she laughed.
 

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Cortney Casey at ccasey@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1046.