The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction

Description

Popular romance fiction constitutes the largest segment of the global book market. Bringing together an international group of scholars, The Routledge Research Companion to Popular Romance Fiction offers a ground-breaking exploration of this global genre and its remarkable readership. In recognition of the diversity of the form, the Companion provides a history of the genre, an overview of disciplinary approaches to studying romance fiction, and critical analyses of important subgenres, themes, and topics. It also highlights new and understudied avenues of inquiry for future research in this vibrant and still-emerging field. The first systematic, comprehensive resource on romance fiction, this Companion will be invaluable to students and scholars, and accessible to romance readers. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Notes on contributors Acknowledgments Introduction PART I: National traditions 1. History of English romance novels, 1621–1975 2. The evolution of the American romance novel 3. Australian romance fiction PART II: Sub-genres 4. Gothic romance 5. The historical romance 6. Paranormal romance and urban fantasy 7. Young adult romance 8. Inspirational romance 9. Erotic romance 10. African American romance 11. Explorations of the “desert passion industry” PART III: Methodological approaches 12. Romance in the media 13. Literary approaches 14. Author studies and popular romance fiction 15. Social science reads romance 16. Publishing the romance novel 17. Libraries and popular romance fiction PART IV: Themes 18. Class and wealth in popular romance fiction 19. Sex and sexuality 20. Gender and sexuality 21. Love and romance novels 22. Romance and/as religion 23. Race, ethnicity, and whiteness 24. In response to Harlequin: Global legacy, local agency Index