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A review by zombi
The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2.0
Encounter counter: probably like, 7? Many.
CW: rape, racism, misogyny, fatphobia, slutshaming, ableism, does it count as pedophilia? maybe., pregnancy, OW drama
Okay, so. The Flame and the Flower, the OG bodice ripper, the famed one that started it all. To hear the internet tell it, other titles of Ms. Woodiwiss's are better reads than this, to which I can only say -- I sure hope so. That said, I did get through this pretty quickly once I made it past the beginning setup. Naturally, the book opens with a lead up to the Initial Rape, which is immediately followed by like, two more rapes? Even though the MMC is, by that time, aware that she isn't actually a prostitute acting and that he actively For Real Raped a virgin girl (nevermind that virginity is a social construct for lots of reasons)?
The FMC is childish and petulant, yet extremely beautiful and perfect. All men who meet her are, apparently, overcome with the desire to rape her. She’s tiny but her breasts come up a lot, I’ll say. The MMC is unable to control himself, naturally, and is also raging, jealous, overbearing, and vacillates between tender and hateful. The only bit of this that I did not expect was the strange way in which the FMC is constantly described as childlike/young/tiny/small? It was uncomfortable to read at certain points and definitely gives off pedophilia vibes. I don't really think that's, like, intentional? I think it probably reads differently now than it did in 1972.
The writer spends a lot of time making sure that the reader understands that fat or ugly people are totally evil and thin and pretty people are not. All of the evil side characters, pretty much, are obese. Or, y’know, aging normally? Incredible. They're also pretty hilariously cartoonishly evil. The black characters in this novel are also complete caricatures, and the dialectical writing for them is cringeworthy and racist at best. While it's absolutely not closed door, the sex scenes are far less explicit than modern novels often are.
It's interesting, looking at this as a prototype to modern romance novels -- the trappings of what romance novels have become today are definitely there, and I know plenty of others have discussed this novel and the timing of its publication in relation to social issues, etc. Sexual revolution, women being more comfortable with embracing sexuality, the idea of women having more power? I don't know. It's interesting to think about, though.
This book in particular, I'll say, is worse than I anticipated given the fact that it sold so well and is credited with kicking off the genre. The prose is pretty... I don't even know if purple is the right word. It's funny in many places that I doubt were intentional. My previous exposure to romance novels of this age or older includes things like Grace Livingston Hill or Janette Oke and this is, obviously, a horse of a completely different color.
All that said, will I read another Woodiwiss? Yes. Yes I will. And will I read other, more bodice-rippingy bodice rippers? You betcha.
CW: rape, racism, misogyny, fatphobia, slutshaming, ableism, does it count as pedophilia? maybe., pregnancy, OW drama
Okay, so. The Flame and the Flower, the OG bodice ripper, the famed one that started it all. To hear the internet tell it, other titles of Ms. Woodiwiss's are better reads than this, to which I can only say -- I sure hope so. That said, I did get through this pretty quickly once I made it past the beginning setup. Naturally, the book opens with a lead up to the Initial Rape, which is immediately followed by like, two more rapes? Even though the MMC is, by that time, aware that she isn't actually a prostitute acting and that he actively For Real Raped a virgin girl (nevermind that virginity is a social construct for lots of reasons)?
The FMC is childish and petulant, yet extremely beautiful and perfect. All men who meet her are, apparently, overcome with the desire to rape her. She’s tiny but her breasts come up a lot, I’ll say. The MMC is unable to control himself, naturally, and is also raging, jealous, overbearing, and vacillates between tender and hateful. The only bit of this that I did not expect was the strange way in which the FMC is constantly described as childlike/young/tiny/small? It was uncomfortable to read at certain points and definitely gives off pedophilia vibes. I don't really think that's, like, intentional? I think it probably reads differently now than it did in 1972.
The writer spends a lot of time making sure that the reader understands that fat or ugly people are totally evil and thin and pretty people are not. All of the evil side characters, pretty much, are obese. Or, y’know, aging normally? Incredible. They're also pretty hilariously cartoonishly evil. The black characters in this novel are also complete caricatures, and the dialectical writing for them is cringeworthy and racist at best. While it's absolutely not closed door, the sex scenes are far less explicit than modern novels often are.
It's interesting, looking at this as a prototype to modern romance novels -- the trappings of what romance novels have become today are definitely there, and I know plenty of others have discussed this novel and the timing of its publication in relation to social issues, etc. Sexual revolution, women being more comfortable with embracing sexuality, the idea of women having more power? I don't know. It's interesting to think about, though.
This book in particular, I'll say, is worse than I anticipated given the fact that it sold so well and is credited with kicking off the genre. The prose is pretty... I don't even know if purple is the right word. It's funny in many places that I doubt were intentional. My previous exposure to romance novels of this age or older includes things like Grace Livingston Hill or Janette Oke and this is, obviously, a horse of a completely different color.
All that said, will I read another Woodiwiss? Yes. Yes I will. And will I read other, more bodice-rippingy bodice rippers? You betcha.