"The problem," she explained, "with your choice of books is that they are not love stories. They're tragic and gritty. They may be well written, but they have little to do with love, true love." I brought up Ian McEwan. She said I was getting closer.
We made it to our first shop. I started to think about all the books, particularly novels, I tend to read. For the most part, they fall under the category of gruesome yet authentic pictures of the human existence, which tends to make for a good novel. There were some authors on my list who tended to be more redemptive in their narrative than others: e.g. David James Duncan and Norman Mailer. Still there are other authors, whom I admit, take the line of work more akin to a dirty sailor: David Sedaris and Augustine Burroughs. The more I think about my reading wall, my bookshelves at home, the more I realized how one sided my reading of literature tends to be. The truth starts to unravel, many of the authors I read are one-sided on the issue of love and romance. They tell the story from a cynical point of view. The idea tends to be: "true love is not real; so let's talk about plan b (and there are many great novels written around the premise of plan b)."
I remember once overhearing a few indie Portlanders having a conversation about the greatest love stories in film. The conversation ended with The Professional as the winner of beautiful love stories. Its about an elementary aged girl (played by Natalie Portman in the American version) who has an awkward-to-watch love/daddy relationship with a hired killer named Leon (Jean Reno). The American version is pretty clean, but the French version of this film is a bit more liberal with their relationship. It's a brilliant film. It's not a true love story. If I remember correctly I think Taxi Driver also made it into the conversation. In this film an underaged prostitute (Jodie Foster) is "partly protected" and "partly stalked" by an over compulsive psychotic taxi driver (played by a young Robert De Niro) in New York City, who attempts to kill a senator whose running for presidential election. It's a great film; but again, not a real love story.
I'm telling all this to Nancy attempting to regain my credibility that I can name a true love story written in these modern genres. She is not impressed. We've left the first store and are heading out and drive to another. "Ok," I say, "Ok!" I press one hand on the steering wheel and hold the other in the air like a politician about to make an acceptance speech. "Here is the greatest love story of all time. You ready for this? …Casablanca!" This is met with immediate laughter. I'm shocked. "What are you talking about? It's a great love story," my voice is defensive. "May I remind you," she says, "that Casablanca is about a love story that almost destroys a marriage." I am decimated. That was my last shot. I'm out of ammo. Casablanca was my great comeback for all the wrong answers I've mentioned so far.
She is right. No matter how great the story is (and Casablanca is one of the best), the premise of the film is about a past love affair that comes back to haunt and almost ruin a marriage. Which stirs in me the question: what books do I read, particularly novels, that give a picture of true love?
We continue shopping. I begin deeply thinking...
Q: What are your favorite films of love and romance? Why do you like about them? (comment below):
(to be continued)
AB.
