Proposal Title
Happily Ever After …. And After: time travel, history and romance in the novels of Susanna Kearsley
Start Date
13-4-2018 10:05 AM
End Date
13-4-2018 11:05 AM
Proposal Type
Individual Presentation
Abstract
“So, you see, my heart is held forever by this place,” she said, “I cannot leave.” (The Winter Sea, 28)
While the romance genre is defined by its focus on a loving relationship between people, place often plays a central role in romance fiction. A perfectly-decorated seaside cottage, like a gorgeous silk gown, can be materialistic wish fulfillment for a reader who has neither gown nor cottage. However, place can also be deeply emotional, creating and shaping the conditions for relationships. In this presentation, I will be exploring the intersection between romance, place, and history in three novels by Susanna Kearsley: The Winter Sea, The Rose Garden, and Mariana.
Kearsley is known for writing romantic stories that transcend time through mechanisms including genetic memory, reincarnation, and time travel. Although they range across time, each of these novels is anchored by its setting, which plays a crucial role in the emotional development of the characters and their relationships. The time-transcending elements of the novels link the past to the present, but also highlight the limits of historical research in our attempts to understand the emotional reality of the past. I will argue that these novels provide a framework that can help us understand the simultaneous specificity of romance – a series of intimate moments between people – and our urge to view it as a timeless emotion.
Happily Ever After …. And After: time travel, history and romance in the novels of Susanna Kearsley
“So, you see, my heart is held forever by this place,” she said, “I cannot leave.” (The Winter Sea, 28)
While the romance genre is defined by its focus on a loving relationship between people, place often plays a central role in romance fiction. A perfectly-decorated seaside cottage, like a gorgeous silk gown, can be materialistic wish fulfillment for a reader who has neither gown nor cottage. However, place can also be deeply emotional, creating and shaping the conditions for relationships. In this presentation, I will be exploring the intersection between romance, place, and history in three novels by Susanna Kearsley: The Winter Sea, The Rose Garden, and Mariana.
Kearsley is known for writing romantic stories that transcend time through mechanisms including genetic memory, reincarnation, and time travel. Although they range across time, each of these novels is anchored by its setting, which plays a crucial role in the emotional development of the characters and their relationships. The time-transcending elements of the novels link the past to the present, but also highlight the limits of historical research in our attempts to understand the emotional reality of the past. I will argue that these novels provide a framework that can help us understand the simultaneous specificity of romance – a series of intimate moments between people – and our urge to view it as a timeless emotion.