Most Offensive Romance Novel Ever MERGED

[ShepherdontheRock]

I don't think Hannibal was really won over. He was always the seducer, and nothing could change him. There's definitely something sensual and charming about him, be that's very common in psychopaths.

This story reminds of when in 7th grade, after reading the play of the Diary of Anne Frank, out teacher has us write short stories about what if we lived at the time. They were.....bad ..... I think I was the only one who said I would just have died as anonymous as the other victims, while everyone else either escaped or were martyred gentiles who bravely defied Hitler. Back then, I thought my classmates were dumbasses, but now I see how just horribly inappropriate the whole assignment was and blame the teacher.

Reminds me of an assignment in 6th grade where we had to "walk a mile in someone elses' shoes." You could do a project/presentation on being a blind person, an camp internee, an escaping slave...I think the assignment had good intentions but was still fairly problematic as priveleged white kids were effectively trying on different races/abilities/etc.

[thoughtful]

Thank you for the explanation, thoughtful & GeoBQn. I appreciate the education I receive here at FJ.

You're welcome!

[2xx1xy1JD]

It is out of current use. There are some segments of Jewish women who are trying to reclaim it. Basically, if a Jewish female friend refers to me as a "Jewess," I am not offended because we both acknowledge that it is an archaic term and understand the joke. A non-Jew using it as if it was actually still a common descriptor, like the book cover, is offensive.

I'd consider "Jewess" incredibly weird in a modern book that has an editor. However, it's about the least offensive aspect of this massively offensive book.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I always across-the-board thought so, until I met a local author named Kristan Higgins at an authors' luncheon. She said she wrote "funny romance novels for smart people." I've read all of her books, and she's right!

Do you consider Judith Krantz novels to be romances? Her main characters are strong, independent women, and her novels are the opposite of 50 Shades (she considers pain a huge turn-off, and guys who are arrogant jerks get dumped in her books). This interview with her is a riot: http://www.nerve.com/dispatches/bedroominterview/krantz

[GeoBQn]

Fuck, I posted this article on my Facebook page and it's lead to a full-blown argument. And not in the way you think.

Side A: Women, some of them minorities, who are writers (mostly sci-fi, but they have respect for romance novels as a genre) and knowledgable about issues of cultural sensitivity and sexual dynamics in fiction.

Side B: White male atheists who insist that all romance novels are crappy and not worth discussing, all religions are stupid, and did I mention that I have been discriminated against for being a white man?

I don't have the energy to continue trying to discuss this with people who just aren't going to change their minds, but I'm afraid that if I delete the post then I'll be the kid who takes their ball and goes home.

ETA: I deleted the post. Taking bets on when they will accuse me of censorship.

[mirele]

Everyone seems to agree that every single part of this book is WRONG (starting with the use of the word "Jewess" to describe the heroine. What the actual fuck?)

I dated a Jewish guy when I was younger and he flipped out when I casually used the word "Jewess." That was nearly 20 years ago. Holy.Crap.it's.still.a.problem.

[Grimalkin]

I am all for redemption and forgiveness but when you commit heinous acts against completely innocent people you need to face the consequences.

So he sees the error of his ways and decides not to murder innocent people for no reason and it's all good?

So what is the sequel like? The go out among friends and ignore the fact he may of been responsible for the torturous death of the person who didn't make it to the party?

"Too bad your uncle can't be here to enjoy this. He died at the camp your husband was at. Maybe he remembers him. He was the skinny one."

Think about how fun Christmas would be!

[GeoBQn]

I was telling my husband about this. When I told him it was a romance novel that set the Book of Esther during the Holocaust, his first reaction was, "What? The Book of Esther isn't a love story!" There seems to be a trend in some Christian circles to frame it as a love story, but Jewish tradition doesn't. We were both raised with the idea that King Achashverosh was a gluttonous fool who was probably significantly older than Esther. He married Esther, but love wasn't a part of it.

[Soulhuntress]

:serious: what was the publisher smoking when they approved this horror of a book? Just no.

[PennySycamore]

I've always had issues with the "our heroine wins over a rake or darkly brooding troubled man" trope of romance novels, even the classics. Mr. Rochester and Heathcliff, in real life, would be men to avoid.

Somehow, I'm not surprised it came to this. Once caught up in the format, I guess it is tempting for a writer to go for the most depressing setting and the most horrible thing a man could be doing for a living.

Is there a novel about winning over a brooding (but handsome!) serial killer yet? :roll:

ETA -- For Such a Time sounds like a book that CountryBoy (the fundie who came here and said Anne Frank might have survived if she'd had something to hold onto, like, for example, faith in Jesus) would love!

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=15945

Anne Frank stuff starts here:

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=15945&start=100#p579299

I'd completely forgotten about Country Boy. I'm glad the Longskirtslotsakids gave to him about Anne dying of typhus.

[ILoveJellybeans]

What the actual fuck?

[FloraKitty35]

What the actual fuck?

I'll second that thought.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

So what is the sequel like? The go out among friends and ignore the fact he may of been responsible for the torturous death of the person who didn't make it to the party?

"Too bad your uncle can't be here to enjoy this. He died at the camp your husband was at. Maybe he remembers him. He was the skinny one."

From the novel:

"Aric, what will happen now... to us?" Hadassah asked, trying to stem her sudden feeling of anxiousness. "Germany is losing the war. You'll be hunted down. Where will we go?"

"For now, we'll leave for Switzerland. Rand and Helen are waiting for us there." He paused. "After the war..."

He gave her a pensive look. "God has forgiven me, Hadassah, though I know I don't deserve it. He's gifted me with more than I've ever dreamed-- a chance to start over again, a new sense of hope, and the faith I thought I'd lost a long time ago." He smiled. "He gave me you." Then he reached down to tousle Joseph's hair. "And a son.

"But the world will still hold me accountable for taking part in Hitler's scheme," he continued. "Even now, when I think of the apathy I once held against your people, it grieves me. If I'd had your courage, I could have done so much more..." He let out a ragged breath. "When the war is over, I must face whatever justice metes out--"

"You won't face it alone, my son."

Hadassah turned to see her uncle approach with Yaakov Kadlec. "We'll be there, too. We'll tell them of your actions and how you saved us all. I believe they will listen. After all" --her tatteh smiled-- "God is on our side.

"

So you see, Christmas won't be so bad, all of their new Jewish friends and relations will be there to help celebrate!

By the way I shamelessly copy/pasted this from the discussion over at MetaFilter: http://www.metafilter.com/151961/If-thats-your-definition-of-a-romantic-hero-I-have-no-words-for-you If you are interested in the topic there are a ton of links to various reviews and other editorials on the book. Plus someone whose wife is involved with the RITA award explains how this book ever got nominated.

[Peas n carrots]

From the novel:

"

So you see, Christmas won't be so bad, all of their new Jewish friends and relations will be there to help celebrate!

By the way I shamelessly copy/pasted this from the discussion over at MetaFilter: http://www.metafilter.com/151961/If-thats-your-definition-of-a-romantic-hero-I-have-no-words-for-you If you are interested in the topic there are a ton of links to various reviews and other editorials on the book. Plus someone whose wife is involved with the RITA award explains how this book ever got nominated.

I need a shower STAT. That was so many levels of ewwww....

[DGayle]

I've always had issues with the "our heroine wins over a rake or darkly brooding troubled man" trope of romance novels, even the classics. Mr. Rochester and Heathcliff, in real life, would be men to avoid.

I wouldn't mind this genre IF the rakes genuinely realized their errors and repented for them. But that's never what happens.

ETA -- For Such a Time sounds like a book that CountryBoy (the fundie who came here and said Anne Frank might have survived if she'd had something to hold onto, like, for example, faith in Jesus) would love!

Holding on to faith worked really well for the 3mil Polish Christians killed in the Holocaust. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/js ... ctims.html

[DGayle]

Reminds me of an assignment in 6th grade where we had to "walk a mile in someone elses' shoes." You could do a project/presentation on being a blind person, an camp internee, an escaping slave...I think the assignment had good intentions but was still fairly problematic as priveleged white kids were effectively trying on different races/abilities/etc.

Those assignments could have worked well if the teacher challenged the kids after writing them. Why do you think you would have been the Jew/slave to escape when so many thought they'd escape, but were found and killed? If you think being blind is like X, then... It's good for kids to think about world problems and shames and individual challenges from a personal viewpoint as if they were in those shoes, but they need to have their misperceptions of reality challenged properly.

When I went to a private school, which automatically makes me a privileged white kid, we were issued various situations, and had to write about how we'd handle them. For example, unwed teenaged pregnancy and kicked out, or being homeless. Most of us thought we'd easily find resources, but that was part of it. Our teacher wanted us to admit our thoughts, then teach us the reality. Learning that homeless shelters aren't on every street corner and that there isn't enough help shattered what we ignorantly thought, and really made an impact.

But the assignment would have been pointless if we only had to write, and that was the end of it.

[ShepherdontheRock]

Those assignments could have worked well if the teacher challenged the kids after writing them. Why do you think you would have been the Jew/slave to escape when so many thought they'd escape, but were found and killed? If you think being blind is like X, then... It's good for kids to think about world problems and shames and individual challenges from a personal viewpoint as if they were in those shoes, but they need to have their misperceptions of reality challenged properly.

When I went to a private school, which automatically makes me a privileged white kid, we were issued various situations, and had to write about how we'd handle them. For example, unwed teenaged pregnancy and kicked out, or being homeless. Most of us thought we'd easily find resources, but that was part of it. Our teacher wanted us to admit our thoughts, then teach us the reality. Learning that homeless shelters aren't on every street corner and that there isn't enough help shattered what we ignorantly thought, and really made an impact.

But the assignment would have been pointless if we only had to write, and that was the end of it.

Well, I think it's also hard to find a privelege-challenging exercise that's both affective and non-controversial. Thus why we did that instead of the Jane Elliott blue eyes/brown eyes exercise.

[longskirtlonghair]

What the actual fuck?

My thoughts exactly.