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Some of my favorite Chick-lit have been good take-offs of the classics. Most attempts at writing a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice fail miserably, methinks, but I did get a good belly laugh from several scenes in Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife. Oh, my gosh, but did he take her! In the carriage, in the tub, on the back of a horse. . .
Some of my favorite Chick-lit have been good take-offs of the classics. Most attempts at writing a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice fail miserably, methinks, but I did get a good belly laugh from several scenes in Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife. Oh, my gosh, but did he take her! In the carriage, in the tub, on the back of a horse. . .
I never much cared for Austen - but I always wondered about the horse thing. The writers who described that obviously never had any contact with horses! I wonder how they thought the Hero could get the horse to cooperate with something like that going on, right on it's back? Certainly no horse I ever knew, not that there have been a lot of them, but that is one stunt I'd never try.
These days, the more successful 'Romance' writers are also mainstream, not just genre-labeled. I can think of 3 that are on the NY Times top 10 list right now. Or at least 2 writers, 3 books.
I'm so happy to have stumbled on this forum too! IMO, there's a difference between chicklit and traditional romance genre. As an unabashed romance books lover, I (of course) prefer romance to chicklit Chicklit tends to stay in contemporary setting and deals with typical modern young women's day-to-day life, and they're usually sort of like a romantic comedy. Traditional romance has tons of variations, not in formula, but in setting. There's historical romance (I would consider Jane Austen's work as classic historical romance, as is Elizabeth Graskell's North & South that has been adapted into BBC mini series production), fantasy romance, futuristic romance, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, erotica, etc..etc. That's why I love romance novels so much. Don't get me wrong, I read other fiction and non fiction too, but when I need an uplifting story that makes me feel all warm and tingly inside, I know I can always count on my romance novels
Nicely put, Grace.
I loved the film version of North&South and need to read the book.
I don't question the existence of Chick Lit, I just wonder why it had to be categorized as such. Oh well.
I started reading him in the '70s, he was very popular with the fishermen then. So popular, in fact, that any and all westerns were referred to as louislamours - one word - and the other popular writer was Robert Ludlum, which caused all simiilar books of that type to be called 'ludlums'. I do know that there is a large and enduring market for L'Amour, you can get leather-bound copies of just about all of his books from a variety of specialty publishers. My favorites were actually the ones about the Sacketts, though I think I've read nearly everything he wrote.
The other best one of the westerns that I can think of right now is one called The Saga of Andy Burnett, by Stewart Edward White. It's a compilation, I think, of several of his shorter works, and traces the settling of the west from just after Daniel Boone [Andy Burnett was a grandson, I think, and carried the Boone rifle on his journeys] through the era of the mountain men on to the US gaining control of California.
Girl-bears have eclectic tastes, just like girl people.
Karibear, I love it that you have read Louis L'Amour! My father had, I would guess, all of his books, all in paperback. He actually kept one in his back pocket as he would go about his day.
Although he had many, many of his books, he always knew if one was not there or out of order.
While visiting with him several times a year, I usually read at least one each visit. The stories all seemed to have a common theme, but they were addictive reading.
It's nice to see that someone else enjoys the reading of a "book for fun".
Karibear, I love it that you have read Louis L'Amour! My father had, I would guess, all of his books, all in paperback. He actually kept one in his back pocket as he would go about his day.
Although he had many, many of his books, he always knew if one was not there or out of order.
While visiting with him several times a year, I usually read at least one each visit. The stories all seemed to have a common theme, but they were addictive reading.
It's nice to see that someone else enjoys the reading of a "book for fun".
As far as I'm concerned, the only books that aren't fun are math texts!
I read an account LL wrote about the beginning of the Sacketts. He'd been travelling through the southwest, getting ideas for settings, and he stopped in a small town in New Mexico [I think it was NM]. Lots of teens and young males strutting and brawling and generally causing havoc, but mostly good natured. Except one bunch of guys - he asked them why they weren't a part of it, and one of them said there were too many of them, cousins and brothers, and each and every one took it personally and got even if one of them got whomped. None of the rest thought it was worth it if they got into a fight and won. The whole thing is most clearly illustrated in The Sackett Brand. Word of trouble spreads, and Sacketts show up from all over the US and Mexico, from a wealthy planter to one with a racing mule, and the only thing they worry about is getting there too late to have some 'fun' of their own.
That is great background information on the development of the Sacketts. They are certainly a family to be reckoned with.
I don't think that Louis L'Amour has been given enough credit for his easy flowing writing and how much history and locale information he weaves into his stories.
I think they would be a great reading start for a young person who hasn't been much of a reader in the past. The stories grab your interest right away, are exciting and easy to read.
They appealed to my father so much because he loved the old West, the sense of adventure, easy to follow plots, the humorous spats and very likeable characters.
Nice reading for seniors who do not want to leap into something difficult to assimilate like Tulle or Hemingway.
That is great background information on the development of the Sacketts. They are certainly a family to be reckoned with.
I don't think that Louis L'Amour has been given enough credit for his easy flowing writing and how much history and locale information he weaves into his stories.
I think they would be a great reading start for a young person who hasn't been much of a reader in the past. The stories grab your interest right away, are exciting and easy to read.
They appealed to my father so much because he loved the old West, the sense of adventure, easy to follow plots, the humorous spats and very likeable characters.
Nice reading for seniors who do not want to leap into something difficult to assimilate like Tulle or Hemingway.
And it just occurred to me that some of LL's books could be considered sort of chick-lit - he has heroines too, even one of the Sacketts. I think it's Down the River, or something like that. Echo Sackett, anyway, and a whole gaggle of Sacketts keep an eye on her, but she still does her own thing.
Im not in the chick lit demographic but my middle daughter certainly is, and she has entire shelves bending under the weight of Jennifer Weiner, Jen Lancaster, et al. The Shopaholic books.
I've read some Jennifer Weiner - Good in Bed, In Her Shoes and a short story collection. I got some of the way through JL's Bitter Is the New Black but to me her protagonist's voice was insanely bitchy without being clever. Maybe I just didnt get her, though.
Do you know your chick lit? Who do you like?
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Enjoyed the chuckles
Chicklit tends to stay in contemporary setting and deals with typical modern young women's day-to-day life, and they're usually sort of like a romantic comedy. Traditional romance has tons of variations, not in formula, but in setting. There's historical romance (I would consider Jane Austen's work as classic historical romance, as is Elizabeth Graskell's North & South that has been adapted into BBC mini series production), fantasy romance, futuristic romance, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, erotica, etc..etc. That's why I love romance novels so much. Don't get me wrong, I read other fiction and non fiction too, but when I need an uplifting story that makes me feel all warm and tingly inside, I know I can always count on my romance novels 
