At the end of almost every Disney
fairytale, we see an innocent, kind-hearted princess marrying a wealthy,
handsome prince. When we're young, inexperienced, and naïve, these kinds of
love stories don't seem too far-fetched or abnormal at all. Through years of
watching Disney movies and reading lighthearted children's literature, we are
cursed from the beginning into believing that love is simple, easy to find, and
eternally everlasting. Those of us who have already entered the dating world
know better. Love isn't fun and games; it's a ruthless battlefield.
It's funny how the tone of romantic
literature evolves as we grow older. As we get deeper and deeper into our
twenties, thirties, and forties, our views of love transition from being
innocent and optimistic to something much more confusing and complicated. In
fact, some of the most popular literature on shelves today draws attention to
this very phenomenon. Nowadays, people are picking up heartfelt dating memoirs
and confessionals and reading them one right after the other. Here are four
reasons why dating memoirs like Bridget
Jones's Diary and He's
Just Not That Into You have become so popular in modern culture.
They're Relatable
Do you ever find yourself skimming
through the pages of your latest read thinking to yourself, 'I know exactly
what they mean!' Part of what makes dating memoirs so popular is the fact that
they are universally relatable. Dating is something we must all go through, and
a number of our experiences are inevitably going to seem very similar, such as
sending ridiculous flirty texts, waiting by the phone, feeling dejected when
someone we weren't even that into hasn't called. Though we are designed to be
unique, all of us naturally get caught up in the same patterns and behaviors
when pursuing love.
They
Provide Comedic Relief
Getting your heart broken can be one of
the most painful experiences in the world. There is nothing worse than longing
for your heart's desire, only to find they don't long for you. Dating memoirs
provide a much-needed comedic relief to the hectic world of dating. Many of us
love to burst out laughing reading about characters like Bridget Jones who must
endure the most embarrassing circumstances of all in order to find love. In the
moment, ending a relationship, dating jerk after jerk, and moving on can feel
horribly disheartening and frustrating, yet over time we get through the
hardships with the help of a little comedy. Dating memoirs are one of those
things that get us through the tough times.
We
Can Learn from their Mistakes
It wasn't until I read "He's JustNot That Into You" that I realized how ridiculous I acted in my own dating
life. I behaved like many of the women did in the book: laying around hoping
your date will call, making up excuses for reasons he's not interested, or
pretending you're not interested just so he'll start to be. One of the greatest
things dating memoirs provide us with is some insight into the way we date in
modern times. By watching a character demonstrate and reenact our own
behaviors, we are able to gauge how we feel about those particular patterns. In
fact, dating memoirs serve as pseudo self-help books in some fashion, and we
can't help but take away a better perspective when we're done reading them.
There
are Always Hints of Optimism
Even though dating memoirs have
tendencies of being generally sarcastic and witty, there always seems to be tidbits
of optimism and hope weaved into them. Think about it: at the end of most of
these memoirs, the main character has some grand realization or ends up with a
great boyfriend or girlfriend. Books must have a meaning, theme, or purpose in
order to sell, and that's why many of these books aim to bring a sense of
clarity and purpose to the woes of failed romances.
Disastrous dating memoirs are some of
the best sellers in book titles nowadays, and it's no surprise why. With a
genre that delivers so much perspective, comedic relief, and optimism, it's
hard to resist buying these romantic titles.
Katheryn Rivas in an education writer
that is interested in researching the opportunities www.onlineuniversities.com can
provide for students. She encourages your comments at katherynrivas87@gmail.com. Comments here on blog are also greatly welcome.
Interesting. I've been married for 35 years so it's kind of hard to relate to the dating world at all. I have only seen Bridget Jones Diary and none of the rest. However after going thru the dating scene with my daughters and with my granddaughters upcoming events maybe I should brush up to be prepared again......ugh
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