Questions for the Guys

[CPSmith]

1. Why don't men read romance novels?
2. What would make a guy pick up/read a romance novel? (Other than not calling it a romance novel.)
3. What would make a guy definitely not consider reading a book that focused on a male/female relationship and that probably contained romance, emotions, sex, etc? (The cover? The title? The stigma? The author?)

Any insight any of you'd like to share would be greatly appreciated.

[klyrish]

1. They're generally really corny. Porn is far more rewarding and much easier to access
2. Make it about more than just romance; for example, there's a number of series of books available through Prime Reading on Kindle devices that are "romance thrillers" and I've read a couple. They're about detectives/FBI agents solving murders and also happen to get frisky while doing so.
3. I'm not opposed to them, but generally they seem to be extremely vapid and shallow--and most of that is based on the cover artwork that all resemble some damsel in distress looking on as some Fabio-looking meathead is somewhere in the picture. Some strong character development to go along with well-written fucking would be fine with me.

[theimage13]

1) I prefer having a relationship to reading about a hyperbolic one described in excessive detail.
2) Consuming copious amounts of alcohol, sheer boredom, a bet, and a reasonable price (free).
3) See #1.

[Jinsai]

Have Gilbert Gottfried read it and I'll buy it


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkLqAlIETkA

[tony.parente]

1. Why don't men read romance novels?
Not really my thing. Boring. I don’t fantasize about romance so it doesn’t fill a need for me.


2. What would make a guy pick up/read a romance novel? (Other than not calling it a romance novel.)
If it included a free membership to bangbus

3. What would make a guy definitely not consider reading a book that focused on a male/female relationship and that probably contained romance, emotions, sex, etc? (The cover? The title? The stigma? The author?)
Knowing it was a romance novel

[sinspots]

Interesting questions. I am female -- I'll delete my post if you like. I never read romance novels (agree with comments, not my thing, boring, corny, but primarily because I'd rather read a story about something exciting and interesting, i.e., more than just a relationship which we can all have in our 'regular' lives). Now, a great fantasy novel (good v evil etc) that just happens to have an amazing love story in it -- I'm in! Example, Wizards First Rule series (not finished yet so no spoilers please), where I admit that the relationship (if it can be called that) has become my favorite thing in the book.

[theimage13]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XR3M4I5UL.jpg

One of MANY romance books that I might consider reading...again, if they were free. For a full list: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/136-6119973-9634046?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=chuck+tingle

[elevenism]

i love romantic stories if they're good: Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca is one of my favorite books of all time, as is The Awakening by Kate Chopin (which was also a big part of my introduction to feminism.)
Jane Eyre (Bronte) was lovely and i like some Jane Austen.
I loved The Horse Whisperer by Evans.
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver was gorgeous.a

I guess that, for me, they've got to have some literary merit.

[eversonpoe]

i love romantic stories if they're good: Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca is one of my favorite books of all time, as is The Awakening by Kate Chopin (which was also a big part of my introduction to feminism.)
Jane Eyre (Bronte) was lovely and i like some Jane Austen.
I loved The Horse Whisperer by Evans.
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver was gorgeous.a

I guess that, for me, they've got to have some literary merit.

my wife JUST read rebecca! she has always loved the movie and wanted to read the book so my best friend got it for her for her b-day.

[Space Suicide]

A compelling or well written story. Genre doesn’t matter to me if the craft is good.

[allegate]

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XR3M4I5UL.jpg

One of MANY romance books that I might consider reading...again, if they were free. For a full list: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1/136-6119973-9634046?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=chuck+tingle

He's...uh...got a podcast. And it's on the Night Vale network, which is about as apples and oranges as you can get.

Pounded In The Butt By My Own Podcast (http://www.nightvalepresents.com/poundedinthebuttbymyownpodcast/)

There's a guy on my Goodreads that has been reading a most eclectic bunch of romance books in between others such as A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan González, and His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1) by Naomi Novik. It's always a surprise to see what he's finished lately.


A compelling or well written story. Genre doesn’t matter to me if the craft is good.
Pretty much this for me as well.

[VirtualBalboa]

I agree. I wouldn't say I typically seek out "romance" as a genre (I tend to focus on writers/style rather than genre anyways) but I've been reading Wuthering Heights recently and I love it.