Reality Check

So the other day I saw this article about HCI's announcement of a new line of books, bringing reality to romance novels. Real life couples, real life romances, as told by romance writers.

I don't think it's a terrible idea, but the concept holds no appeal for me - as both a reader and a writer. I like my fiction fictional. I like the creative freedom of making it all up. For one thing, that delicious fakeness helps me suspend my disbelief. I also like the paranormal & historical -which are just flat out of the question. (I'm waiting for the first vampire romance to come out of this line with bated breath. Har.)

Sure, I like a good anecdote of a real life romance as much as the next person, but why not just write a memoir? Why sell your story to be told by a romance writer?

The couples volunteering seem... I don't know, maybe like they are bragging about their happily ever after? And how do we know they're being honest? Will it be a scandal to discover that they didn't do all that stuff they said they did in the handy-dandy questionnaire used to compose their story?

Where does the author come in? Are they romantic historians now, taking down the stories told them? Romances should be more than just the story of Jane meeting John and living happily ever after. To me, they are more even than conflict and drama and love. The underlying themes in every good book... how is the author going to fit in symbolism and the layers of a good book into the story that must obey the rules of a real-life he-said-she-said?

And (this might be the biggest thing) I think I am more likely to relate to a character I know is fictional than one I think is based on a real person. I'm not sure why this is the case. Maybe it has something to do with the emotional distance involved. I can slide into a character's shoes, but I would feel like an interloper stepping into the emotional shoes of a real person.

It's like reality TV. Though oddly voyeuristic and emotionally exploitative, there is drama there. Entertainment even. But it's never going to have the same cultural value as Shakespeare. Art requires creative license. The most powerful emotional truth is found behind the curtain of fiction. (And if you want to argue that romances aren't Shakespeare, just remember romance is what made Shakespeare famous.)

What do you think? Would you shell out $13.95 for a real-life romance? Or are you saving your hard earned cash for a fantasy escape?