Guest Post by Patricia Eimer
Chick Lit’s Not Dead Yet
There I said it. And somewhere, probably in New York or LA, a thousand editors, publicists and book buying people just felt a gigantic stabbing motion in their heart and a few may be experiencing headaches. Because I just said something we’re all supposed to believe is patently false. When I mentioned the name of this blog post two of my critique partners actually made that sucking sound over the phone that seemed to say “bad idea, don’t go there.” And that’s how I knew I’d hit upon the blog I wanted to write. Because you see, I live for that sound. I am like a bad idea chiropractor – I live for the noise. I need the noise. And because of my addiction to the noise I’m going to say it again. Louder this time.
CHICKLIT IS NOT DEAD!!!!!
Now, my proof. Pretty Little Liars, Emily Giffin and Ann Brashares are all sitting pretty on the USA Today’s Bestseller List. Katie MacAlister’s The Incredible Lightness of Dragons hit the list its first week in publication. MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead and Undermined did the same thing. And my publisher, Entangled Publishing, has two fabulous novels coming out (The What If Guy and Lucky Girl) that would both fit into the genre.
Now are they all traditional Carrie Bradshaw style characters straight out of a Candace Bushnell novel? No, of course not. But to say that Chick Lit is dead because of that would be the same as saying that Historical Romance novels are dead because we now rarely see the “rape the virgin till she loves you” trope being used. In fact you almost never see it in modern Historical Romances. Does that mean Historical Romance is dead? Hardly.
Is the age of reading a book for a glimpse at the extravagant lives of Candace Bushnell or Plum Sykes characters over? Maybe. Is that because women aren’t reading? Or because they suddenly don’t want to read strong, independent, modern women who might be looking for love but can take care of themselves thank-you-very-much? Nope.
I think, and this is all just my opinion as 1.) a Reader 2.) A Woman and 3.) An Economist that it’s not that women don’t want to read or they don’t want to read the strong, independent women personified in Chick Lit. My opinion is that it’s very hard to identify with traditional Chick Lit girls in the postmodern age. A Bergdorf Blonde’s concerns over whether or not she can make it for her 30 day touch up seems a bit silly in the age of 9.6% unemployment and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
But while I proudly declare that Chick Lit isn’t dead I will concede that it has evolved and grown, like everything (including readers) always do. Do readers want a book that fixates on Manolo Blahniks and Balenciaga? Nope. But that doesn’t stop us from giggling over Betsey the Vampire Queen being a bit peeved off to see her “power shoes” on the Devil’s feet. It’s just that in the modern age we, and Betsey, have bigger fish to fry.
So if you call it Chick Lit, Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Paranormal romance with Comedic Elements, Contemporary Fiction with Romantic Elements, or whatever NY has declared the “in” term for books with strong, modern heroines who can save themselves it doesn’t matter. At heart they’re all the same and women still want to read them. The only difference between the “Age of Chick Lit” and now? We’ve all grown up a little bit and learned to clip coupons.
Which, speaking of coupons, Off 5th Avenue just sent me a pretty good one. And there are a pair of Beverly Feldman’s that have just fell into my price range. Little black lace booties? You will be mine. Oh yes. You will be mine.
