bookgazing (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bookgazing) wrote2009-02-16 05:56 am
bookgazing) wrote2009-02-16 05:56 am
Bookish Chat - Aphrodite's Workshop for Reluctant Lovers
I talked about the basic outline of 'Aphrodite's Workshop for Reluctant Lovers here and then realised the book had really hooked me. I wanted to chat on a bit more about this thought provoking slice of chick-lit and what better place to chat than right here?
‘Aphrodite's Workshop For Reluctant Lovers’ is the kind of smart chick-lit I would love to see more of. The author turns the classic chick-plot line of a woman looking for love into an intelligent discussion of current ideas about romance and modern love. The ideas examined in this book aren’t new; I’ve seen almost every point that Cobbold’s main character makes examined on blogs, or written about in newspapers, but this is the first time I’ve seen a chick-lit novel so openly examine the central construct of lasting romantic love, which the chick-lit genre is based around.
Cobbold has her heroine, Rebecca bring up every reasoned objection to romance I’ve ever heard, for example that in a world without romance couples would avoid hatred and jealously at the end of a relationship, enabling them to provide a better caring structure for any children. She also raises many arguments that supposedly explain the existence of romance: it’s a psychological way of raising the status of our mating, and our species above that of other animals, it’s a defense mechanism designed to keep partners together longer so children will have a stable environment in which they flourish, and the recently re-popularised idea that romance is a delusion sustained by romance novels. Cobbold doesn’t answer these questions, creating a chick-lit novel that doesn’t dabble in romantic advice, something which characters in the novel frown on.
The historical background about the ‘invention’ of courtly romance is left out. This might have led down some interesting paths, especially for Aphrodite. How angry would the goddess of love get when her chief acolyte starts saying that humans are responsible for her biggest project? However, any more ideas might have over burdened the book’s structure, which excels at creating plausible situations for Rebecca’s ideas to be explored.
You would think that a chick-lit book with a heroine who finds it hard to believe in the possibility of real, long term love would be a depressing read. Rebecca relies on her belief in love to brighten her life, but her career is also bound up with this belief as she is a romantic novelist, so as she begins to doubt that lasting love can ever exist between humans, her whole life collapses. However the novel has some fantastic characters who bring some fun to the book even in the difficult times. Rebecca is an energetic, engaged heroine who has a strong personality which makes her fun to be around. John, the male lead, is warm and a definite catch. Coco the imaginary, sarcastic clown is an absolutely genuine stroke, he made the book for me with his sharp asides that really illuminated Rebecca’s mindset. The gods provide the comedy meddling and although they weren’t my favorite Greek god recreations, they were up against some pretty strong godlike competition (think Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt and Marie Phillips). I really enjoyed the little details in the god’s characters, like the different colours that Aphrodite’s eyes turn with each emotion.
I’m a little ambivalent about the ending. I change my views about it every other minute. I started out thinking it was a massive cop out ending, using dues ex machina (oh yeah get in the classic studies qualification) to bring about a quick happy ending. Now that’s in keeping with the book where Aphrodite and Cupid physically influence every relationship, but it felt like too easy an ending for such a thoughtful piece of chick-lit. It didn’t satisfy me. Then after thinking it over I almost came around to the idea that it was a masterful ending, demonstrating the ability of love to triumph over reason, which keeps romance alive. I was almost there, almost certain but something keeps me from embracing this idea.
Overall this overtly intelligent slice of chick-lit was enjoyable and engaging. There was plenty of fun fantasy, along with frank discussions about the reality of romantic love. Can anyone recommend some more chick-lit that examines modern life?
Other Reviews
Paperback Reader
‘Aphrodite's Workshop For Reluctant Lovers’ is the kind of smart chick-lit I would love to see more of. The author turns the classic chick-plot line of a woman looking for love into an intelligent discussion of current ideas about romance and modern love. The ideas examined in this book aren’t new; I’ve seen almost every point that Cobbold’s main character makes examined on blogs, or written about in newspapers, but this is the first time I’ve seen a chick-lit novel so openly examine the central construct of lasting romantic love, which the chick-lit genre is based around.
Cobbold has her heroine, Rebecca bring up every reasoned objection to romance I’ve ever heard, for example that in a world without romance couples would avoid hatred and jealously at the end of a relationship, enabling them to provide a better caring structure for any children. She also raises many arguments that supposedly explain the existence of romance: it’s a psychological way of raising the status of our mating, and our species above that of other animals, it’s a defense mechanism designed to keep partners together longer so children will have a stable environment in which they flourish, and the recently re-popularised idea that romance is a delusion sustained by romance novels. Cobbold doesn’t answer these questions, creating a chick-lit novel that doesn’t dabble in romantic advice, something which characters in the novel frown on.
The historical background about the ‘invention’ of courtly romance is left out. This might have led down some interesting paths, especially for Aphrodite. How angry would the goddess of love get when her chief acolyte starts saying that humans are responsible for her biggest project? However, any more ideas might have over burdened the book’s structure, which excels at creating plausible situations for Rebecca’s ideas to be explored.
You would think that a chick-lit book with a heroine who finds it hard to believe in the possibility of real, long term love would be a depressing read. Rebecca relies on her belief in love to brighten her life, but her career is also bound up with this belief as she is a romantic novelist, so as she begins to doubt that lasting love can ever exist between humans, her whole life collapses. However the novel has some fantastic characters who bring some fun to the book even in the difficult times. Rebecca is an energetic, engaged heroine who has a strong personality which makes her fun to be around. John, the male lead, is warm and a definite catch. Coco the imaginary, sarcastic clown is an absolutely genuine stroke, he made the book for me with his sharp asides that really illuminated Rebecca’s mindset. The gods provide the comedy meddling and although they weren’t my favorite Greek god recreations, they were up against some pretty strong godlike competition (think Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt and Marie Phillips). I really enjoyed the little details in the god’s characters, like the different colours that Aphrodite’s eyes turn with each emotion.
I’m a little ambivalent about the ending. I change my views about it every other minute. I started out thinking it was a massive cop out ending, using dues ex machina (oh yeah get in the classic studies qualification) to bring about a quick happy ending. Now that’s in keeping with the book where Aphrodite and Cupid physically influence every relationship, but it felt like too easy an ending for such a thoughtful piece of chick-lit. It didn’t satisfy me. Then after thinking it over I almost came around to the idea that it was a masterful ending, demonstrating the ability of love to triumph over reason, which keeps romance alive. I was almost there, almost certain but something keeps me from embracing this idea.
Overall this overtly intelligent slice of chick-lit was enjoyable and engaging. There was plenty of fun fantasy, along with frank discussions about the reality of romantic love. Can anyone recommend some more chick-lit that examines modern life?
Other Reviews
Paperback Reader