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By Meghan Leigh
A Recent Discovery
Wait, what?! That couldn’t be right.
I had just picked up my raggedy copy of “Younger Sister,” the very first book I read for our foray into podcasting. (You can listen to the episode, Playing House, on your favorite podcast streaming service or visit our episode page here to play the podcast right from our website.) Months had passed since I last thumbed through the brittle pages, and I wanted to refresh my memory about a few details. And there it was, in black and white. Although my specific book was published in 1968, I had previously missed an important detail: Kathleen Norris’ original copyright date was 1928. This tale is nearly an antique – a century of romance, if you will!
Which got me thinking about how fundamental a romance story is at its core. I hadn’t even *noticed* the 40-year discrepancy. And really, why should I? The characters, their actions, their relationships, their motivations, etc., are universal throughout time. Without plot points that involve technology, fashion, or current events, the heart of a romance novel can thrive in any decade. Narratives of desire, lust, heartbreak, and love and timeless. In fact, some romantic escapades have become so enmeshed in the fabric of our lives, that we insist upon the retelling over and over again.
Timeless Love Stories
William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in the late 1500s and we haven’t stopped reimagining the story since. We’ve got musicals like West Side Story. We’ve got animated cartoons like Gnomeo and Juliet. And when I was in high school, the Claire Danes & Leonardo DiCaprio version was inescapable. Although, when it came time to watch the movie in my 10th Grade English class, we were treated to the 1968 adaptation instead. If you haven’t seen that version, word to the wise, there’s a fairly explicit sex scene that I don’t think my teacher had fully prepared for. Watching as it was awkwardly fast forwarded just added to the hilarious vibe that already saturated a room full of hormonal teenagers.
Romantic lead Jimmy Stewart starred in the film, Shop Around the Corner back in 1940. I got introduced to the story when I was cast as an extra in a community theater production of the musical She loves Me. And until I sat down to write this, I wasn’t aware that the original manuscript was called Parfumerie, by a Hungarian writer who set the play in 1937 Budapest. You may know it better as the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan movie, You’ve Got Mail (and really, who better to play a Jimmy Stewart premiered role than Tom Hanks?) The story manages to set up a believable love-connection between the potential couple in every retelling. Personally, I think we’re ready for another updated version. Somebody call Hollywood!
Finally, there’s my personal favorite of Pride and Prejudice. Colin Firth in a top hat? Yes please. Colin Firth on a horse? Uh huh. Colin Firth and the pond? Be still my beating heart. Obviously, my loyalties lie with the British mini-series. But that hasn’t stopped me from watching the many versions that came both before and after. The most recent version I’ve enjoyed is a fantastic queer interpretation called Fire Island starring Kim Joel Booster and Bowen Yang (Lizzie and Jane roles, respectively.) Modernized and a tad more risqué than the original Jane Austen text, it delivers on both the rom and the com. Highly recommend.
What keeps us reading, watching, and coming back for more is the universality of these tales. At my core, I’m an old-fashioned girl (brandy over bourbon … but did you know that the original old fashioned was actually made with gin? I digress.) The classic nature of romance stories doesn’t make them tired. It makes them tried and true. So be it 1928 or 2024, I’m here for it. And in today’s world, it’s nice to know we’ve got something heartfelt to rely on.
Revel in the retrospective romance, biddies, and remember that you are loved!
