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Great Love Stories/Romantic Heroes in Gothics
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While I've read Gothic novels all my life, Gothic romances are fairly new to me in comparison. I've read individual novels here and there, but have only started to really hunt for them in my library.

I love a good love story and there has to be a love story for it to be a Gothic romance. I'm wondering what everyone's favorite Gothic romance love stories or romantic heroes are...and if you can recommend any books that have that powerful emotional center.

For myself, I can point to Jane Eyre easily as my favorite thus far. (I would also point to Wuthering Heights, but while it is atmospheric, there's no real puzzle or mystery to qualify it as a Gothic romance.) I am a huge fan of Jane because she is not the damsel in distress. She is independent, intelligent, witty, and courageous. She isn't beautiful and wins her lover through her strength of character instead of through her looks. She also chooses to return to her lover and doesn't need him to rescue her. That is an incredibly modern take on a woman.

The love story between her and Rochester is also great because it is so passionate. I've never read scenes where a man is so felled by love as the scenes in this book. I like the whole motif of Rochester as the wounded hero seeking love. I absolutely hate alpha males in any guise, although alpha males with a sensitive side work (like Russell Crowe's character in Gladiator I guess).

Also, I am a big fan of Erik in the Phantom of the Opera because he is the wounded hero. However, I think his real appeal and character took on a life of its own outside the novel. The Phantom of the musical is so much more appealing than the Phantom of the novel. The love story though is very much one-sided. In comparison to Jane Eyre, I think Christine Daae is an innocent victim who cries and sighs way too much for me.

Anyway, there's a first post. :-)
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Great Love Stories/Romantic Heroes in Gothics - by Desdemona - 11-06-2007, 12:23 AM

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