Top Ten Favorite Romances

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for my Top Ten Favorite Romances. There will be some SPOILERS if you haven’t read these books.

1) Anne and Captain Wentworth in Persuasion – Their love withstands years of separation and rekindles in the most beautiful way.

2) Anne and Gilbert in the Anne of Green Gables series – I love that we get to see their whole relationship, from courtship through marriage and children throughout the series.

3) Henry and Clare in The Time Traveler’s Wife – Spanning almost Clare’s entire life, these two had a romance that defied fate.

4) Jo and Professor Bhaer in Little Women – I know most people rooted for Laurie and Jo, but re-reading this as an adult made me fall in love with Bhaer along with Jo. They were perfectly suited for each other and they both thought they would probably never find love.

5) Thursday and Landon in the Thursday Next series – What would you do if the man you loved was completely erased from existence? Thursday has to deal with this, yet the books are still hilarious.

6) Levin and Kitty in Anna Karenina – Sure, Anna’s romance is more dramatic, but Levin and Kitty were always my favorite. Their relationship was not an easy one. They both had to mature before they could be together. Their relationship shows that real love is hard work, but worth every second of it!

7) Lucy and George in A Room with a View – The ultimate question in a good romance; do you marry the sensible guy or do you throw caution to the wind and follow your heart? This book has one of the best examples of this kind of romance that I’ve ever read. Plus, they meet in Florence, which is just a lovely bonus.

8) Marco and Celia in The Night Circus – A ridiculously difficult obstacle to overcome, magic in the air, what more could you want?

9) Arwen and Aragorn in Lord of the Rings – A romance that was relegated to the Appendix for the most part, but undoubtedly swoon-worthy. To be together Arwen must give up eternal life, but she knows that a short lifetime with him is better than an eternity without him.

10) Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester – Of course they made my list! Their love is undeniable, yet Jane still walks away because she won’t compromise her belief system for any man. Then comes one of literature’s most irresistible lines … “Reader, I married him.”

Image from here. 

Top Ten Book Romances That You Think Would Make It In The Real World

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Book Romances That You Think Would Make it in the Real World. I once again decided to split it into 5 romances I think would definitely make it and 5 that I think don’t have a chance.

True Romance
1) Anne and Captain Wentworth from Persuasion – Their love was not based on infatuation or whim. They loved each other from a distance for eight years and their time apart made them value each other even more. I think they would absolutely make it, because they know what life is like when they aren’t together.
 
2) David and Agnes from David Copperfield – David’s first wife was never a good match for him. Agnes however is clever and loyal and she truly loves him. The two make a wonderful pair.
 
3) Anne and Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables series – The pair goes through so much over the course of the 8 books in the series. They stay together through sickness and health, loss and joy, living in new cities, having and raising children, etc. I think their marriage is a realistic one and they would definitely make it.
 
4) Jane and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre – Jane is incredibly honest with Mr. Rochester about who she is. Once they pulled all the skeletons out of his closet they discovered that they were still meant to be together and they are now on equal footing. They have a shared respect for each other and that’s essential to a successful marriage.
 
5) Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind – No, it’s not a healthy relationship, but they do understand each other. They are both selfish, but they are at their best when they are loving each other. I always liked to believe the two would make it in the end.

Headed to Divorce Court
6) Bella and Edward from Twilight – Let’s see, you have to give up everything and everyone in your life to be with him. Red flag! You have to change everything about who you are to be with him. Red flag! Yes, the books are fun to read, but they don’t paint a picture for a healthy relationship.
 
7) Almost anything by Nicholas Sparks – These formulaic romances always have unrealistic situations. A pair of troubled individuals meet, instantly fall in love and then one of them usually ends up dying. Frankly I think he kills someone off because he knows how ridiculous their relationship is to start with.
 
8) Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights – No, just no. The writing may be beautiful, but there is no chance in hell that this love would ever make it off the page. It couldn’t even make it on the page! These two characters are too selfish and self-involved to ever make a relationship work.
 
9) Miranda and Ferdinand from The Tempest – This is one of my favorite Shakespearean plays, but while I adore it I don’t think the romance would last. When they “fall in love” Miranda has never seen another living male except for her father and their wild slave Caliban. I have a feeling the second she realizes there are millions of other men on the planet she might regret marrying the first one that crossed her path.
 
10) Ralph and Catherine from A Reliable Wife – Their marriage was based on lies and deceit from the start. That’s not the best start for any couple.

Image from here.