Friday, November 21, 2008

Bodice-rippers: the global language

I have a deep love for books with titles such as "Taming the Scotsman" or "The Sinful Nights of Nobleman." This makes me easy fodder for all sorts of jokes from my fellow PCVs. Despite their ridicule more than one of them has come to me when they think no one is watching asking to borrow "Hard Day's Knight." Of course, they'll never admit to it in public.
One of the greatest challenges in a foreign country is making meaningful friends across cultural lines. Romance novels are the quickest and easiest way to accomplish this. That's right: smut is not an American phenomenon, women the world over love to read about washboard abs.
While waiting in the faculty lounge of my local high school I was passing time by reading "Conquest Bride." One of the other teachers came up to me and announced that she too was an ardent fan of such novels. She immediately offered up a trade: her Danielle Steele collection for anything I had, so long as it wasn't historical. A most excellent mutually beneficial relationship.

1 comment:

Katie said...

The historical ones are the best though!