All romantic novels end the same way, but it’s the process of getting there that provides all the enjoyment.
― Candice Hern
Let’s imagine you can’t stand a romance novel. So, you sit down with a seemingly thrilling book with a kickass blurb and start reading. But wait, what is this? The story has a romance brewing, even if it is in the subplot.
Some readers love romance in every book they read because they are hopeless romantics at heart! But there are people (like me) who would think romance is not that pertinent in every single novel (unless it’s important for the plot). Because let’s be honest – as opposed to what pop culture shows us, romance is not the centre of the universe.
But readers have become so used to having a romance in novels – even if it’s a smidge –that without it, the story feels incomplete. Uncomfortable. This is probably what led the authors to add a romance angle to their stories and characters. And now, it has become an unspoken staple in literature, either as a prominent narrative or in the background. But let’s rewind back a little bit! Why do we feel uncomfortable even thinking about a book without romance?
Writing romance
Whether the novel is romantic fiction or has romance as a subplot, the effect it has on the story is the same. Unsurprisingly, romance is one of the most consumed genres of fiction. The readership for other genres might fluctuate but the reader base for romance is always constant, if not increasing.
The first proper romance novel was Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, published way back in 1740. Ever since, many writers experimented with romance, from creating tropes to indispensable concepts. Whatever romance book you read though; the chronology of the events is almost the same. There’s a first meeting, immediate attraction, and deep conversations. This is then followed by some angsty scenes (to represent reality), reconciliation and finally a happy ending.
If we look at the patterns, it is mostly women writers who write romance stories. There are men writers too, but many opt for a pseudonym to go with their books. Why? Because romance is still seen as something only a woman could or should enjoy (patriarchy, am I right?).Since it is mostly women driving the force – in the writing as well as reading part – the perspective is always that of a woman. more focus is put on the woman’s thoughts, feelings and how she perceives and/or transforms her love interest.
The man’s feelings are showcased with the help of physical and verbal cues. For example, defending her from enemies, his positive reactions to her actions, verbal confessions and so on. Essentially, the romance book follows the transformation of the man from a carefree bachelor to a committed mate for the woman.
The evolutionary appeal of Romance stories
Maryanne Fisher, a psychologist, has researched the evolutionary approach to writing romance. Her studies tell that words like handsome, wealthy, and masculine are used the most to describe the said love interest. This indicates the woman’s ideal rendition of the man who she would love to spend her life with. Regardless of whether she has to completely transform him or not. According to evolutionary psychologists, the female writer’s reproductive interests influence the man’s portrayal. It is for this reason that almost every other male love interest is wealthy, desirable and sculpted like a Greek god. And the readers lap up this portrayal rather intently! Why does this happen? Because of something called narrative transportation.
Narrative Transportation
Often, we get the feeling of losing touch with reality while reading novels. That feeling actually has a definitive term! It’s called narrative transportation and is a crucial key in enjoying any novel, including romance. It is a feeling where the reader gets lost in the narrative world, finding themselves completed involved in the story. The involvement is so much that the scenarios, emotions and cognition come together to form realistic mental imagery.
When you get immersed in a romance novel, you become one with the protagonist. Her thoughts and feelings feel like your own – and the man’s love feels directed towards you. You are, for the lack of better words, living vicariously through the romance you’re reading. The author’s reproductive interests also trickle down the reader’s minds. And this gives the readers a list of dos and don’ts when it comes to finding love in real life.
But there are cases where the fantastical story becomes so real in a reader’s mind that they reject anyone who doesn’t meet their criteria. It’s somewhat true when they say, ‘Fictional Men Have Ruined Me For Actual Men’.
Chemical Romance
Complimenting the narrative transportation technique is the neurological influence of reading romance. Brains release different chemicals in certain situations. When it comes to reading, studies prove how crucial these chemicals are to help you enjoy romance.
When you start reading a romance novel, the narrative transportation does its best to immerse you in the story. This activates the brain’s functions, which leads usto feel several emotions along with the characters. A romance scene or cute moments between the couple? That triggers oxytocin, a neuropeptide related to couples bonding. An anticipatory confession that may or may not go wrong? Our brains release norepinephrine, which kickstarts our body’s fight-or-flight response. When the story ends, our brain releases dopamine, a hormone related to pleasure and reward. And since the romance novel most likely has a happy ending, our brain releases serotonin, the feel-good hormone.
These chemicals are not released to an astronomical level – just enough to let you enjoy the book and connect with it to a deeper level. I’d like to think that the more you’re stimulated while reading a romance novel, the more you come to love that book!
The familiarity of romantic plots
As if that’s not enough, we also experience psychological attachment to the idea of romance. Love and romance are an ever-present thing in everyone’s lives –at least observed, if not felt or experienced. Even if a romance novel has different elements, readers are still comfortable with it because it’s a love story. This romance between the protagonist and the love interest acts as an anchor that helps them make a smooth sail (pun intended) through the book.
If this is the case in a romance novel, imagine a genre where most of the things are unfamiliar. Sci-fi? New, intimidating concepts. Mystery? Unexpected events. Adventure? Unfamiliar situations. Historical drama? We weren’t there to see that for ourselves. Horror? Ghosts! And don’t even get me started on fantasy – that genre is way too complicated as if every other genre blended into one!
The novels in any of these genres are made relatable – humanized – by adding romance to the book. That would make romance the sub-genre, where it unfolds in the background, quiet yet visible. Let’s take an example! In the Harry Potter series, the first two books only focus on introducing Harry (and the readers) to the magical world of wizards. It is only in the third instalment that we see Harry’s first touch of love and romance; he develops a crush on Cho Chang. Even though his feelings aren’t explicit, the readers know they are there, making his experience familiar. His surroundings might be hard to imagine but his romantic feelings are right in our range of experiences.
Going on an adjacent tangent, people are only vulnerable with people close to them, especially someone they love. It’s because we are social animals and can’t go long without expressing ourselves to others. Authors use this to reveal the characters’ backstories. When the characters are falling in love, they reveal their pasts, and why they are the way they are – all through their vulnerable moments. An example? We see this rendered in the second book of the Percy Jackson series, where Annabeth Chase tells Percy about her fear of cyclops. This vulnerable moment might not have happened if there was no friendship or hidden romance between them. Do you see why the romance angle is important here?
In a nutshell…
There are several desirable things about reading romance, whether as a main focus or sub-plot. These stories showcase the portrayal of an ideal partner, with a subtle focus on reproductive interests. It has the evolutionary appeal that speaks to the reader’s primitive emotions. Not only that but reading about love stories release happy hormones in your brain, making the experience even more addictive.
Another desirable element of having a romantic subplot is the sense of familiarity it brings to a reader. Especially when the book has unique, fantastical settings. And when there is romance, there are deep conversations, thus giving readers a way to understand the character completely!
Romance might seem unnecessary to some people, but as you can see, there are real reasons why it is present everywhere. But, to make you romance-anti readers happy, there are books with zero to little romance. Want some of those titles? V.E. Schwab’s Vicious, Brandon Sanderson’s The Emperor’s Soul and C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia.
