Reading this and realizing Medicine Woman is about a degree and a half away from being a bodice ripper. Excellent essay as always. Loved this one as a fellow trash appreciator.
As someone who found and read all of my great uncle’s True Crime magazines at the age of 10, then proceeded to Mom’s Harlequin romance novel chain-reading club, I can testify to the value of this genre. Especially growing up in a era that did NOT discuss sex, these tomes were valuable aids for understanding the big nasty world, and developing a sense of humor about the overly-dramatic and absolute shitty behavior potential of humanity in general.
I suppose my poor mother was relieved to some extent that she would not have to have “the talk” with me, horror of horrors, lol. She basically said, “If you have any questions, let me know”. Totally typical of the times.
I turned out normal, which means I made mistakes, bad choices and potentially dangerous assumptions about male partners……but I also applied some useful bodice-ripping pro tips as well, because we never would NEVER have had any instruction on how to have a satisfactory sexual relationship with your mate from our parents. Or how to wield concealed daggers and hair-pins to fight off potential assault.
There was much learning to be found, good and bad. Such is life.
My parents relationship was such a red flag nightmare it's probably why I find rippers so hilarious. Of course my mother never taught me anything, never had "the talk" or none of that... but between listening to my parents fight and being generally unsupervised (it was the parental style at the time) it was probably better I learned how the world worked through books instead of getting into REAL trouble!
Angelique was my first in this genre. Written in the 1950s it is mild on the sex but the history hits home. A real Beauty and The Beast romance. I cried so hard…
This was such a fantastic article! I may have to check out Silver Devil.
I used to read bodice rippers by authors like Catherine Anderson and Pamela Clare. Still love those books. But once I started reading paranormal even those began seeming tame. Hard to compete with a vampire warlord or a lykae prince. I’m completely ruined for “real world” storylines now.
Ha! Makes complete sense. Brandon Sanderson and Will Wight mastered the art of turning swords into characters. How do you go back to an inanimate blade after that? Possible but the hint of magic is always in the back of your mind.
A fine long ad for your books and some stuff you've mentioned. I'll get them all except those of the romance shelves. Thanks a lot. I always knew this: reading feeds the mind. Here's a proof that should convince all.
While I am yet to read a bodice-ripper I have read plenty of pulp, and classics. Both high and low art can be appreciated without needing to denigrate the other. Great post!
Books that are written to entertain the reader, have to be at least minimally. Good in a lot of ways. Otherwise, the author in the publisher won’t make any money. Of my mother‘s favorite writers was Taylor Caldwell. She’s completely forgotten now. Her stuff did not have graphic, sex scenes, but it was still a little bit racy for its time, and it was packed with accurate historical detail. They made a TV show out of one of her novels, The Captains and the Kings. I read the book because it was sitting around the house, and the TV show was actually done as a bis ripper, with Jane Seymour, as I recall, dropping her nightgown and showing us her bareback, which I found to be an intense vision when I was about 10 years old. The great Frederick Forsyth died recently. he wrote books to entertain the reader, and he keeps you turning the page pages. And his books are also packed with accurate historical and technical detail. Really, these sorts of books don’t deserve to be called trash and they don’t deserve the disrespect they get. People who write so-called literary novels could learn a lot from them.
I think I grew up on a milder version of this stuff: Harlequin novels. We bought them in used book stores.
Also, watched all the outrageous TV-series with completely inappropriate content — Lace, Mistral’s Daughter, never missed an episode of Miami Vice in 6th grade, Thornbirds (!!), and of course the delightful Dallas and Dynasty.
Oh, and when dad got us our first VHS player he got a few movies to try out. I never forgot one that had a motorcycle gang get beheaded with a tripwire across a road at full speed. The other movie was The Blob. We were a bit jarred but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the new movies!
Really like your omnivore take! I’ve always subscribed to the same angle. Speaking of motorcycles — I fondly remember watching ‘Miami Connection’ on TCM and live tweeting with a bunch of other movie fans on #TCMParty. Best and most fun ever!
Damn, that's two-for-two! I think you are my favorite blogger right now. I don't read much romance, and can't say I have ever read a Bodice Ripper from around the age I was born... but your writing was entertaining enough that I read all about them. lol
Now stop, I need to get some fucking writing done!
Reading this and realizing Medicine Woman is about a degree and a half away from being a bodice ripper. Excellent essay as always. Loved this one as a fellow trash appreciator.
Trash is just so fun!
I’ve got a whole spiel about why the Starz Spartacus show is high art actually hahaha
I didn't even know there was a new Spartacus show!
not new, but the one from 2010 or whenever. High art.
All I can think is Dr. Quinn, and how right you are. 🤔
I think in a way this is why I also have an appreciation for B-movies. I love me some low-brow art. You're right, it's still art.
Great post Lisa.
As someone who found and read all of my great uncle’s True Crime magazines at the age of 10, then proceeded to Mom’s Harlequin romance novel chain-reading club, I can testify to the value of this genre. Especially growing up in a era that did NOT discuss sex, these tomes were valuable aids for understanding the big nasty world, and developing a sense of humor about the overly-dramatic and absolute shitty behavior potential of humanity in general.
I suppose my poor mother was relieved to some extent that she would not have to have “the talk” with me, horror of horrors, lol. She basically said, “If you have any questions, let me know”. Totally typical of the times.
I turned out normal, which means I made mistakes, bad choices and potentially dangerous assumptions about male partners……but I also applied some useful bodice-ripping pro tips as well, because we never would NEVER have had any instruction on how to have a satisfactory sexual relationship with your mate from our parents. Or how to wield concealed daggers and hair-pins to fight off potential assault.
There was much learning to be found, good and bad. Such is life.
You rock. 💗
My parents relationship was such a red flag nightmare it's probably why I find rippers so hilarious. Of course my mother never taught me anything, never had "the talk" or none of that... but between listening to my parents fight and being generally unsupervised (it was the parental style at the time) it was probably better I learned how the world worked through books instead of getting into REAL trouble!
I looooove this!!! I recently read, not a bodice ripper exactly, but a gothic romance by Victoria Holt. Loved it.
The used bookstore in my neighborhood has a whole big Historical Romance section, with quite a few books from this era.
That was a wild read.
Angelique was my first in this genre. Written in the 1950s it is mild on the sex but the history hits home. A real Beauty and The Beast romance. I cried so hard…
This was such a fantastic article! I may have to check out Silver Devil.
I used to read bodice rippers by authors like Catherine Anderson and Pamela Clare. Still love those books. But once I started reading paranormal even those began seeming tame. Hard to compete with a vampire warlord or a lykae prince. I’m completely ruined for “real world” storylines now.
It's like when I jump between fantasy and lit/historical fiction. "This would be way cooler if the sword drank souls or something idk"
Which explains a lot of my writing style when I write fantasy 🤣 gotta have the research to feel real, but, magic is fun
Ha! Makes complete sense. Brandon Sanderson and Will Wight mastered the art of turning swords into characters. How do you go back to an inanimate blade after that? Possible but the hint of magic is always in the back of your mind.
Now I know what a bodice ripper is, and it’s not what I thought it was.
A fine long ad for your books and some stuff you've mentioned. I'll get them all except those of the romance shelves. Thanks a lot. I always knew this: reading feeds the mind. Here's a proof that should convince all.
Book covers used to be so much better.
While I am yet to read a bodice-ripper I have read plenty of pulp, and classics. Both high and low art can be appreciated without needing to denigrate the other. Great post!
Books that are written to entertain the reader, have to be at least minimally. Good in a lot of ways. Otherwise, the author in the publisher won’t make any money. Of my mother‘s favorite writers was Taylor Caldwell. She’s completely forgotten now. Her stuff did not have graphic, sex scenes, but it was still a little bit racy for its time, and it was packed with accurate historical detail. They made a TV show out of one of her novels, The Captains and the Kings. I read the book because it was sitting around the house, and the TV show was actually done as a bis ripper, with Jane Seymour, as I recall, dropping her nightgown and showing us her bareback, which I found to be an intense vision when I was about 10 years old. The great Frederick Forsyth died recently. he wrote books to entertain the reader, and he keeps you turning the page pages. And his books are also packed with accurate historical and technical detail. Really, these sorts of books don’t deserve to be called trash and they don’t deserve the disrespect they get. People who write so-called literary novels could learn a lot from them.
I think I grew up on a milder version of this stuff: Harlequin novels. We bought them in used book stores.
Also, watched all the outrageous TV-series with completely inappropriate content — Lace, Mistral’s Daughter, never missed an episode of Miami Vice in 6th grade, Thornbirds (!!), and of course the delightful Dallas and Dynasty.
Oh, and when dad got us our first VHS player he got a few movies to try out. I never forgot one that had a motorcycle gang get beheaded with a tripwire across a road at full speed. The other movie was The Blob. We were a bit jarred but that didn’t stop us from enjoying the new movies!
Really like your omnivore take! I’ve always subscribed to the same angle. Speaking of motorcycles — I fondly remember watching ‘Miami Connection’ on TCM and live tweeting with a bunch of other movie fans on #TCMParty. Best and most fun ever!
Lisa, still laughing at #5 but in large part...true. - Jim
Damn, that's two-for-two! I think you are my favorite blogger right now. I don't read much romance, and can't say I have ever read a Bodice Ripper from around the age I was born... but your writing was entertaining enough that I read all about them. lol
Now stop, I need to get some fucking writing done!
Thanks! Sorry for distracting you 😉
“Arf Arf Arf” -men