credits: from thenerddaily.com – image of new romance releases in 2023
The romance genre, assumed to be a woman-only genre, is riddled with stigma about its “literary merit”. The romance genre has been predominantly written by women with women leads, but that doesn’t mean it is only for women. Often times, when referring to the genre, many defend their hatred of it as to why it’s ‘bad’ or not as worthy as other genres. But why all the hate? Misogyny.
As female authors dominate the romance genre market, many people have correlated the two. And while it isn’t necessarily incorrect, the effects are misogynistic rejection of the entire genre. It isn’t just a problem we see with books. It’s everywhere. From films to sports, often times the things women enjoy are simplified down to ‘girly, not-as-complex-as-what-men-enjoy’ things. Similarly, romance books have been dumbed down into something just for women, and therefore, lacking what is referred to as ‘literary merit’.
Literary merit is the idea that a piece of literature must have value as art to be taken seriously. It is often related to the classics, as they serve as the foundation for most modern literature. Literary merit promotes the elitism that is rampant in the literature world. The literature that is considered to have literary merit typically consists of difficult language and structure. Though reading these pieces should be encouraged, reading pieces that don’t fall under this category should not be discouraged. By forcing subjective taste onto all pieces of literature, one only has a selection of few, inaccessible books to read.
However, there are issues with the romance genre that pretentious male readers do not focus on, simply because they are hypocrites. There are a few common tropes in the genre that promote toxic, abusive relationships or misogynistic standards. Such as the stalker/obsessive partner trope, the damsel-in-distress, or unhealthy depictions of rape or sexual assault. These are definitely issues that deserve in-depth discussion, however they aren’t only prevalent in the romance genre. In the books that are ‘more deserving’/have more ‘literary merit’ (such as high fantasy/science fiction, classics, and anything but romance) these tropes can also be found. Because it isn’t just a problem with romance, it’s a problem with misogyny and the weaponizing of real issues.
But recently, the romance genre has been the outlet for many to diversify the stories we read. There have been more novels featuring BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and more, leads and romances. There have also been healthier depictions of issues such as mental health, sexual assault, racism etc. If you want to read some LGBTQ+ centered romances, you can find some here: 36 LGBTQ+ Books to Read in 2023.
Ultimately, reading shouldn’t just be about what has value or literary merit. It should be about what makes you happy. And while some romance books may not be as groundbreaking as the classics, it doesn’t mean we should hate on the genre as a whole. Many modern romance books promote diversity and accessibility, and ultimately promote reading itself. So I hope everyone can find appreciation for the genre, regardless of your personal opinion.