Alpha males, part 2

Original post

I'm a little behind on comments, though I am thoroughly enjoying the discussion. I also wanted to clarify some points that I realized in comments and throw out further thoughts. I note that much of what I reference in terms of social constructs of femininity is a white, middle-to-upper-class social construct, and that I'm using that particular construct because the majority of romance authors and heroines tend to fall into that category (slooowly changing.... also, I do not have stats on reader demographics, argh!) and because I haven't read enough romances by and about POC to note how things are the same and different with women of color.

1. ( Definitions )


2. ( Problems of terminology )


3. ( Alpha females )


4. ( Violence )


5. ( Intent )


6. ( Fantasy and wish fulfillment )


7. ( Romance today )

Narayan, Kirin - Love, Stars, and All That

I really disliked the first half of the book and was wondering why rachelmanija had recced it.

Gita Das is an Indian grad student at Berkeley, where she's overwhelmed by culture shock and her Aunty Saroj's astrologer's prediction that she will find her true love that March. My general impression of the first half of the book was an overwhelming sense of distance. Gita is perpetually at a loss as to the proper behavior, since all her scripts for India don't work in the US. It also doesn't help that she's shy, timid, and not inclined to stand up for herself; it was particularly painful watching her make up answers or pretend to laugh at jokes she didn't understand because she was too embarrassed to say she didn't know something.

Much of this isn't sparked by the dislike of Gita herself, but rather at my own discomfort as to how closely Gita resembles teen and college me. It's the embarrassment squick x1000. She has much of the same adolescent ideas about romance that I did, and the combination of culture shock, the desire for romance, and the complete lack of tools to deal with either is so painful to read about. It's even worse when everything combined leads Gita to make several bad decisions when it comes to romance.

On the other hand, I found the second half of the book charming, sweet, and uplifting. I'm not sure if there's a way to get to the second half without having gone through the first half, because much of the impact relies on the reader seeing Gita, five years later, older and more confident and grown into herself.

The pompous academics from the first half have largely gotten over themselves, or they're recognized as being stuck up; the foreign scariness of Berkeley gives way to great descriptions of Bombay and Delhi (I very much sympathized with how mold and humidity takes over everything); and Gita's loneliness has turned into a small circle of friends and relatives. I want to say something about Americanization and Westernization and immigration and living between two countries, except I'm not sure what, save that it was good reading about other people who also felt that divide.

Lemon curd and chocolate souffle

For personal reference and archival purposes...

( Lemon curd )

( Chocolate souffle )