I'll Take Romance

10:36:55 AM EDT

If ever there was a love story that was a natural fractured fairy tale it was the story of  Charles and Diana. Frog prince meets shy teacher. They kiss. She turns into a Princess. She spawns his royal tadpoles at the frog bog. She meets a tragic end. He lives happily ever after. Sounds fractured to me.

We all know the story. But, like, was it all it was cracked up to be? I don't know, but it sure is fascinating when you look beyond the story into the everyday life of royals. And whether it's just emotional jibberish, or actual factuals, "A Royal Duty," gives a fascinating glimpse of life behind palace doors, both upstairs and downstairs.

Author Paul Burrell, who started as a royal busboy in Buckingham Palace and ended up right hand man to HRH Princess Diana up to the time of her death, offers behind the scenes stuff that isn't smut and trash, but interesting all the same. Although there's no talk of  the Princess's body slashing, if you want the bulemia, it's there, but not served as the main course.

OK, so the Spencer family comes off looking a bit tarnished and the staff at the Palace a bit affected by itself, but you gotta have some tension to reach a climax.

After reading the book I know I'd like to meet the Queen and ask her what's in her purse. And she'd probably show me. At least that's the impression I got. There's a scenerio where Burrell walks in while the queen is practicing wearing her crown, which he says is the equivalent of trying to balance two one pound sugar bags on your head. It wasn't the crown balancing act that made me want to know her, but the fact that she was also wearing pink mule bedroom slippers. Who would have thought? :) it also appeared to be a very lonely life revolving around all your crazy relatives.

The relationship between the Princess and the butler seems a bit off-kilter, but being a woman who has been scorned by men, as Diana has, I can see why she'd latch on to one she could trust without hassle. Perhaps she had a royal crush on him, and he on her, but that makes it all the more delicious.

Just like every book written after the death of the only person who could verify its validity, one wonders if everything is true. But there's no finger pointing and busy body gossip, just a look at the Princess's closet, not her dirty laundry. Burrell seemed to write from the heart, with love and  respect, A bit more than normal, but nice, all the same.

Although, the butler infers that Diana was in love with someone the entire time and he was involved in clandestine arrangements, that's as far as he goes. No tattling. No judgment call. No hint of who it might be. So perhaps the book leaves as many questions as answers. But, that's the fun.

I love the personal photographs from Burrell's own collection...the Princess dressed in a sweat shirt and shorts cutting the ribbon to welcome him to his new "cottage" on the royal grounds. The birthday party with his children and prince Harry and William with Thomas the Train decor. Diana's "happy snaps," photos she insisted on  taking when they travelled the world together.

I liked the little tidbits about how the Royal Family had clothes darned and how the lush royal uniforms worn by the house staff were hand me downs from history with worn spots and patches. That the table used for state dinners in Buckingham Palace was so wide the staff would have to wear booties and walk on the table top to set up the candlelabras in the center. The fact that Prince Charles had a silver toothpaste tube key with his Prince of Wales feathers as the turn. The Queen commenting on how uncomfortable the coronation carriage really is as she prepared for her coronation anniversary.

The Spencers eventually had Burrell arrested for theft of items supposedly given to him by the generous Princess which provides an interesting twist to the story of smarmy devotion, but it also adds insight into the British legal system.

I left the book wondering what purpose the Royal family serves and realized how antiquated their lifestyle was in this day and age. But on the other hand, royalty is history and the scandal is timeless. So, it's just a bit of color in a dull and predictable world.

"A Royal Duty," isn't profound, and you won't miss a thing if you don't read it. On the other hand, it's just plain interesting for the type of book it is and gives lots of Chuck, Di  and Royal  family fodder to chew on.

The book isn't worth the cover price, but it came from the discount rack at a major book retailer/discounter and thus it became a bargain.

Written by catoblin Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 0 comments: Add your own

3:21:04 PM EST

I spent my entire life reading books that would teach me something. Self-help, text books, non-fiction, travel, the literature classics. I was a literary snob. My good, good friend since high school has spent years reading romance novels and I kind of always wondered what's up with that?  You're married... I'm the single one who should be reading pithy stuff, not you.

Then one day we went to a local library for a "romance book" discussion and I'm thinking, yeah right! OK Linda...whatever...we have too much time on our hands. Time to get jobs (We're both unemployed).But I decided to do something different...and I never would have thunk...

Did you know... according to the Romance Writer's of America romance fiction generates over $1.4 billion in sales in each year? That’s a lot of trees if you ask me. And that FIFTY-FOUR percent of all popular paperback fiction sold is romance fiction? AND nearly half the readers are married women? 

Before you gag, understand that Romance isn't just the smarmy Harlequin (technically called “category romances”) books you grew up hearing about or noticed on your quirky aunt's coffee table. The ones with the Fabio style macho men tearing into the bodices of schizoid women who can't decide "Take me. Get away." 

Romance novels are not all about "He pressed his hot, moist lips against her neck and began nibbling his way down her throat to her heaving, sweating cleavage for a banquet..." routine either, although there are interesting passion pumpers. Some authors, who I'll get to in the future, are pretty graphic in describing what the female specie wants, needs and desires. Men would be wise to take note, since the majority of these books are written by women, mostly for women, but I doubt the authors would object if men took a turn at them.

Beneath the umbrella of romance come “genre” and that’s where I got my biggest surprise… I HAD been reading romance novels all along and never knew it!  The authors of “You Can Write Romance,” Rita Clay Estrada and Rita Gallagher defined a romance as any story where the main theme is love between a man and a woman. Of course, this book was published in 1999 and since then lesbian fiction has entered the arena. But this is just astarting point, to make you aware that there?s more to romance than meets the eye.

In addition to category romances there are mainstream, historical with a sub set of ?regency,? not to be confused with historical, set in the period from 1811 to 1820. Jane Austen?s work is a prime example of this period. However, anything written after 1900 is not historical, it is a period piece. Then there are sagas which usually cover three generations of a family, westerns and civil war period books. Then there are Christian romances.

With all the options where would I start? I needed something fun because quite frankly my life is a bust. I decided I'd try what the trade calls "Chick Lit," because ...well just because I had a list of the top ten "Chick Lit,? best sellers of 2004 in hand and I wanted to see what I was missing.

I walked on down to the library and discovered Jennifer Weiner who topped the best seller list with three novels. And now I'm hooked. I'm a love junkie. I'll tell you more about my adventures between the covers tomorrow.

Written by catoblin Permalink | Blog about this entry |  Add to del.icio.us |  digg this This entry has 10 comments: Show Recent | Add your own