-Why does Nicholas Sparks believe it is unfair to call him a Romance novelist? Do you agree with him?
In the article "Nicholas Sparks, Miley Cyrus share a Last Song love story", Sparks expresses the opinion that romance novels have a predictable ending of happily ever after. He argues that his books do not follow this pattern, and that his novels would be considered love stories, when he says, "'I don't write romance novels.' His preferred terminology: 'Love stories — it's a very different genre. I would be rejected if I submitted any of my novels as romance novels'" (Breznican). He believes this to be true because this books are not "Cinderella" stories, because they have a tragic attribute to them. I would have to agree with him. I have seen the movie The Last Song, as well as read the book of his Safe Haven. This book was not a typical boy meets girl, boy and girl flirt, and boy and girl fall in love. The main character is running away from her abusive husband, and ends up meeting a guy in little town the she fleets to. There is a surprise ending, which does not fit the mold of a love story.
-Which genre person are you according to Tom Jacobs' article?
According to this article, I am a mix between Thrilling and Communal. I am a combination of these in different medias. I would consider myself thrilling because the books I read can be convoluted, or with magic. I also enjoy reading dystopian novels, only because I like escaping from the reality of now to strange, different world, where the laws of science are broken, and all rules are bent. Secondly, I enjoy crime tv shows, my favorite being Criminal Minds, which can be graphic and overwhelming to a person who is frightful at the sight of blood and gore. Jacobs explains: "They are: Aesthetic (which includes classical music, art films and poetry), cerebral (current events, documentaries), communal (romantic comedies, pop music, daytime talk shows), dark (heavy metal music, horror movies) and thrilling (action-adventure films, thrillers, science fiction)"(Jacobs). I am thrilling because I enjoy science fiction books. I am Communal because I read popular books at times (a.k.a. John Green). I also watch TV shows like Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy.
-How can classifying books into their genres be helpful to readers? How can it be problematic to writers?
Classification of books into specific genres can be both helpful and harmful. It can be helpful for readers because if one knows what kind of books they, it is easier and more efficient for them to find a book. Also, if they know they like a certain author, they may be able to find a similar author that is categorized in the same genre. The downfall to genre classification is if an author's book is a mix between multiple genres, it could be falsely categorized, and a reader may not choose that book because it is in a genre that they typically stray away from. This may frustrate authors because they feel as though their books aren't as appreciated just because of the genre they are arbitrarily placed in. Another consequence of genre labeling is that a reader could limit themselves to only certain books, because they feel this is the genre they like, and those books are the only ones they will ever like.
