This is the month for romance novels. Granted, they have come a long way since Jane Austin’s time, often with much stronger heroines and modern plot lines but one might be wise to consider the following advice.
Claire Fallon was a victim of romance novels. Much wiser now, she has shared the lessons learned in Everything I Knew About Dating I Learned From 19th Century Novels. Huge Mistake.
An excerpt:
“Date a guy who thinks you’re just attractive enough to tolerate. (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen)
He’s willing to hook up with you, so does it really matter that he once told your friend he thought he could snag a hotter girlfriend than you? Maybe he makes fun of your love handles, then gently suggests getting a gym membership. Don’t give up! Tell yourself you can win him over with your vivacious personality. One day he’ll find you beautiful. After all, Mr. Darcy went from finding Elizabeth Bennett “tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me” to proclaiming her “one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance” after a couple hundred pages of banter and general hilarity. Lesson: He might be settling for you now, but keep trying and someday he’ll really appreciate you. Really.”
“I am not worrying about whether you will love my future wife or not—if you know her twenty-four hours & then don’t love her, you will accomplish what nobody else has ever succeeded in doing since she was born.“
Beyond Survival in a School Library 