Morning Pages - Assignment 3.2

The two genres I have chose to look at here are the romantic novel and the historic war story. These are two types of story are ones I just don’t like the idea of so this assignment is one I am not really looking forward to doing.

Romance: The Greek Tycoon’s Unwilling Wife by Kate Walker

Even ten pages was tough going for me, I really do not enjoy romantic fiction one bit. But I did it and read ten pages, then closed the book and passed it on to next door as she loves them. Apart from that, the lead female character managed to totally infuriate me by dropping everything and running to the aid of a man, who for the want of a better way of putting it, is a complete bastard and had treated her so terribly to throw her out on her wedding day. Just wrong, wrong, wrong that’s as good as saying men abusing women is ok. It was too unreal, too idealistic. Unreal from a lover of fantasy I know sounds mad but really romance should be believable and not this type of tripe of women being beautiful but totally incapable and totally dependent on a man to be happy. That’s too out of touch with me.

I don’t want to pan the author as she was on a loser with me whatever, it could have been the best piece of romantic fiction since sliced bread and I would have stopped after the ten pages. I just do not enjoy this genre. The author did however give a good round up of the Greek setting? Why are romances always in exotic places why not be romantic in the pouring rain somewhere in England? Now that might be worth reading. The character descriptions were good too though I do feel the lead lady should have stuck the finger up at ex and told him to go away politely or not. I did flick to the end and they predictably end up happy ever after and very much in love. Considering what he did on their wedding day… no way!

On that I am ending my trip into romantic fiction and rushing for my Anne Rice novel for a day or so before contemplating the next part of the task. Vampires will no doubt get me over this horrific experience.

Historic War Epic: Sharpe’s Eagle by Bernard Cornwell

After my respite with bloodsuckers its time for the next part of the task, the historic war epic. I have deliberately chosen this book as the TV series that goes with it is everything I hate about the genre and I want to know if its as bad in word form. So to Sharpe.

Actually I almost enjoyed this. I am really quite amazed at the knowledge the author has shown and how realistic his descriptions of military life in Napoleonic times are. From one type of bloodsucker to another the opening ten pages had a full description of the medical procedure using maggots to aid the healing of a wound. As a student nurse I remember reading about this procedure as part of a project and was absolutely impressed by the author’s accuracy.

Sharpe thankfully is nothing like Sean Bean I am delighted to say, but he is a career soldier and that is reflected so well in the text. Having said that its still a war novel and not my cup of cocoa so I am handing the book over to the world’s biggest Sharpe fan… my youngest son. I will say, however, I am now looking forward to reading another novel by Bernard Cornwell, ‘Stonehenge’.

© Jem Farmer, all rights reserved.