Book Lovers Inc.
Romance Novel Reviews, Author Interviews, Commentary
Romance and Me: The Age Factor
Hey Everyone! Today I would like to discuss with you the Age Factor, i.e. whether the age of the hero and heroine of a romance novel matter.
As a woman in my mid-twenties I guess I am lucky that most romance novels feature heroines around my age, and it sure makes it easier to relate to them.
I admit that in the past when I read the heroine was in her fifties and had children and was divorced/widowed I skipped that story because I believed my enjoyment of the novel would be hindered as I had nothing in common with such a heroine since she was my mother’s age and mostly had the problems/issues women being at that place of their life have (grown up children, married to her husband of many years, etc.).
Do you think it important for the H/H to be about the reader’s age?
Do you read novels where the characters are much older/younger than you?
Can you relate to the story and the characters despite the age difference?
I would love to read your thoughts!
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My owner is getting close to 40, but she has to admit she does like reading about heroines/heroes who are younger than that.
It has to do I think with the fact that when aging a person keeps gliding into new stages in his/her life.
Someone between 16 and 21/22 for example is still exploring the world and his/herself.
Between 22 and 35/40 (depending on the person) there's this stage of life where you're working towards certain goals. from 35/40 and on you have (hopefully) reached those goals and your life moves to a more sedate/certain stage. etc..
In real life every stage is interesting and exciting of course, but in fiction the stages of exploring and reaching for your goals is much more interesting/intriguing than the stage where everything is going at a steady pace.
So that's why my owner (and me as well) likes to read books where the heroine & hero are between 16 and 35/40. Although we will admit there's often too much teen angst and drama in YA. (but my owner didn't like angst and drama when she was a teenager either, so age has nothing to do with not liking that!)
That being said:
this is all in general of course. We will certainly pick up books with heroines/heroes in another age category if the story sounds interesting.
Im 27, but I love to read about slightly older couples (~40). I don't read teen/young adult books at all. I just can't relate to the characters.
Wow Sully, thanks for putting i8t so brilliantly! You put into the perfect words exactly what I meant! That at different ages different things are important to us, they change and evolve depending on our stage of life. And I agree, the exploring part is quite exciting 😀
(and yep, didn't like too much teenage angst and drama even when I was younger 😉
@Natalija: Oh that is interesting. Why do you think you prefer to read aout older couples? Is it because you are experiencing similar things in your stage of life? Or simply because you find what those couple go through more interesting? I'm curious 🙂
My preference is for stories that aren't miserable and angst-ridden, no matter what the age of the main character. That's why I won't read books about children dying, or about lonely divorced women, or about terminal illness.
However, many of the novels with older characters seem to revolve around these topics. I think it's because there's a misconception that "serious" literature has to be grim and miserable. Geez, you think we'd have enough grimness and misery in real life without reading about fictional grimness and misery.
I am closing in on seventy and I enjoy everything from YA to the elderly finding a HEA.
Lovely post Stella, and very difficult question. Should I reveal my age here? I don't like to read YA as I have nothing in common with those children, and find them silly, and way too young to find the love of their live (or two).
I am always pleasantly surprised to read about somewhat older heroines, but do enjoy most with women in their 20s as well.
I have the same thing when people post picturs of half naked men, which are to me often just boys. I prefer seeing a grown up man. That typed, I know it is totally age related.
I guess one of the reasons is because I am engaged to an older man, he is in his forties. It may sound strange, but mature heroes feel more mundane to me. They deal with real problems, not the ones they create themselves. Young heroes usually are too impulsive and more susceptible to outside influence.
I'm fast heading to mid-forties and I know that I don't feel old. So, if I read a hero/heroine around my age, I can relate. But I'm happy to read from 20's up. I'm not a big YA fan and I'd probably draw the line at geriatric love – a sweet secondary romance maybe – I finished Yours To Keep by Shannon Stacey and she had a secondary romance with characters around age 65 and that was fine. I prefer the main couple to be a little younger though! 🙂
With a background in advertising and sales, I am ever aware of the set-in-stone theory that “sex sells”. This promotional propaganda is used to market everything from bottled water to automobiles, and all categories in-between. When it comes to reading, especially romance, I do appreciate variety. I have my comfort zone, but I get such a kick of being led down a different path by a skilled storyteller. Those are some of the best reading road trips of my life! Even though I am now 53, in my mind I am a mature, but young-at-heart woman of 23! I still have my youthful enthusiasm, and I still believe in true love and second chances for “Happily Ever After”! I can read about newly discovered young love or the sweet surprise of unexpected mid-life passion with equal enjoyment. People of my age have usually had a lengthy relationship that may have ended in separation, divorce, or widowhood. While I find those to be some very interesting reads, I would not want to read them all the time. Alternating those reads with romantic tales of younger lovers who are beginning their life together is the most fulfilling combination for me as a reader.
Thirty years from now, I hope that you will have lost none of your enjoyment of being a romance reader. In fact, I hope that, like me, your love and appreciation of the genre will only increase as time passes.
I read this chick-lit type of book where she was 40 and it just felt so refreshing, but yes I normally do not read romance books with heroiens that "old" cos they are just in a different place in life than I am.
But I also do not wanna read anout too young heroines these days cos I just roll my eyes
The h/h in most books I read are younger than me. But I don't find age to be a factor in my enjoyment of them. In fact, I don't find age to be a real factor in most of the stories.
One I read this year where age did make a difference–older hero and much younger heroine–turned out to be among my favorites: Julie Anne Long's WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE.
Thanks for an interesting post.