I recently read, on lots of podcasts' recommendations, Kathleen Woodiwiss's The Flame and the Flower. Published in 1972, the book "revolutionized the historical romance genre." As a student, avid reader, and future author of romance, I thought it would be interesting and informative to read the book that started the "bodice-ripper" genre. I was right.
Here's why this book fascinated me: the story's main characters meet when one of them rapes the other one, yet it still ends with their happily ever after. Absolutely no novel published today would have a rapist as the male lead, but Woodiwiss not only shows the reader the rape, but does so with both characters' points of view. From that moment on, she has the writing challenge of making both the female lead (previously a virgin, of course) and the reader grow to trust him. Think of the writing challenge of demonstrating that a rapist is a worthy hero, a good man who deserves her love and respect. (As an aside, my clipping service–aka husband–sent me this cool article about a writing lesson plan that forces students to craft first-person narratives of people who say despicable things. It's worth reading, especially if you're a teacher. Then, please come back here afterwards.)
The book is much longer than many romance novels published today, maybe because it had more work to do than they have. As noted above, since the reader/female protagonist starts out reasonably hating the male lead, Woodiwiss has to show his worthiness building over time. But I also think it's worth noting that since the romance genre wasn't huge yet, she included lots of subplots in other genres.
Woodiwiss keeps these two on the page together enough to show how he changes and grows, and my sense is that it is that aspect of this book that reformed the genre and brought in the age of the bodice-ripper. I don't think I'll go out of my way to read other rape romance, but I found this book fascinating.
As I do with books I read for NetGalley (you can sign up on my Contact page to receive those emails if you don't already get them), I'll include the basic facts here:
title: The Flame and the Flower
author: Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
publisher: Avon
publication date: 1972
pages: 512
peppers: 3 (on this scale)
warnings: multiple rapes, vomit, drinking, murder, beating
summary: Innocent orphan Heather lives with her mean aunt and wimpy uncle, so when the opportunity presents itself to leave with her aunt's brother to get a job teaching at a school, Heather doesn't ask questions. Unfortunately, getting Heather a job isn't actually his plan. Fortunately, she escapes the evil man...only to get captured by others, who bring her to a good-looking, but out-of-control ship's captain, who both believes she is a prostitute and rapes her. When she finds herself pregnant with his child, she is glad to marry him, even though she is still terrified of him.
tropes: (though Woodiwiss probably started these patterns rather than repeated them)
- bodice ripper
- enemies-to-lovers
- first time-gets pregnant
- jealous ex
- thoughtful house help
- he's richer than she thinks
- the Brit and the American
what I liked: Woodiwiss manages to do the work of showing this rapist as a likable, noble guy. That's not an easy sell.
what I didn’t like: well, the rape.
overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars) (I'm not sure if I'm actually recommending this book to people who don't want to understand this genre better, but for aspiring romance writers, this books seems foundational)
What thoughts do you want to share about this book, the bodice-ripper concept, or anything else?