Weekly Geeks 2010-6 Romancing the Tome

I'm joining Weekly Geeks this week. It's a fun topic!

Feel free to explore any or all of these prompts:

• What literary couple is your favorite?
  
• How do you define romantic literature? Does it always involve sex? or the hint of sex?
  
• What author/s do you think writes romantic scenes particularly well?
• Do you have a favorite romantic scene in a book?
• Do you find you read romantic literature at certain times of the year?
• Tell us your favorite romantic quote.
• Do you have some favorite romantic poetry?

My favorite, favorite literary couple probably won't surprise a few of you. It would *have* to be Anne and Gilbert. In my review, I described it like this: "I don't know if there are enough words to describe how I feel about Anne of the Island. It is one of the most magically, wonderful, giddy-making, purely-delightful, satisfying books I've ever read...and reread...and reread. Reading this book makes all the world seem right."


Here's my favorite bit of the book:

There is a book of Revelation in every one's life, as there is in the Bible. Anne read hers that bitter night, as she kept her agonized vigil through the hours of storm and darkness. She loved Gilbert—had always loved him! She knew that now. She knew that she could no more cast him out of her life without agony than she could have cut off her right hand and cast it from her. And the knowledge had come too late—too late even for the bitter solace of being with him at the last. If she had not been so blind—so foolish—she would have had the right to go to him now. But he would never know that she loved him—he would go away from this life thinking that she did not care. Oh, the black years of emptiness stretching before her! She could not live through them—she could not! She cowered down by her window and wished, for the first time in her gay young life, that she could die, too. If Gilbert went away from her, without one word or sign or message, she could not live. Nothing was of any value without him. She belonged to him and he to her. In her hour of supreme agony she had no doubt of that. He did not love Christine Stuart—never had loved Christine Stuart. Oh, what a fool she had been not to realize what the bond was that had held her to Gilbert—to think that the flattered fancy she had felt for Roy Gardner had been love. And now she must pay for her folly as for a crime. (237)

This comes soon after she hears the news that Gilbert is sick--that he could, in fact, be dying. I'd love to share the clip of the happily-ever-after with you. But I can't find it on YouTube. And while there are music tributes here, there, and everywhere. Some of them have the misfortune to use clips from the oh-so-dreaded, doesn't-really-exist third movie. But I did find this one...



You might be surprised to learn that a close second (though not that close) would be Rilla Blythe and Kenneth Ford. My review of Rilla of Ingleside. Here's how I started it, "I will try to dry my eyes long enough to type out a review that couldn't hope to do this book justice." It's about the only time I found a lisp romantic--when Rilla says "yeth" to good old Kenny just back from the war.

Now that I think about it, L.M. Montgomery is really good at the romance. I love this scene from The Blue Castle, for example:

"I thought I'd run down and ask if there was anything I could do for you," said Barney.

Valancy took it with a canter.

"Yes, there is something you can do for me," she said, evenly and distinctly. "Will you marry me?"

For a moment Barney was silent. There was no particular expression on his face. Then he gave an odd laugh.

"Come, now! I knew luck was just waiting around the corner for me. All the signs have been pointing that way today."

"Wait." Valancy lifted her hand. "I'm in earnest--but I want to get my breath after that question. Of course, with my bringing up, I realize perfectly well that this is one of the things 'a lady should not do.'"

"But why--why?"

"For two reasons." Valancy was still a little breathless, but she looked Barney straight in the eyes while all the dead Stirlings revolved rapidly in their graves and the living ones did nothing because they did not know that Valancy was at that moment proposing lawful marriage to the notorious Barney Snaith. "The first reason is, I--I"--Valancy tried to say "I love you" but could not. She had to take refuge in a pretended flippancy. "I'm crazy about you. the second is--this."

She handed him Dr. Trent's letter.

Barney opened it with the air of a man thankful to find some safe, sane thing to do. As he read it his face changed. He understood--perhaps more than Valancy wanted him to.

"Are you sure nothing can be done for you?"

Valancy did not misunderstand the question.

"Yes. You know Dr. Trent's reputation in regard to heart disease. I haven't long to live--perhaps only a few months--a few weeks. I want to live them. I can't go back to Deerwood--you know what my life was like there. And"--she managed it this time--"I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. That's all." (127, 128)

I also love Anne and Captain Wentworth from Persuasion. That letter. Wow. It just works really well.




My favorite non-literary couple would *have* to be Sam and Jack. From Stargate SG-1.



© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews