Scottish romance novels

[jewelzs]

I'm sorry but I couldn't read another romance novel let-a-lone a scottish one. That stuff is so much s*** and you all wonder why people come on this site wanting a big scottich laird or a highlander or something like that. Please people they don't really exist in this day and time. And if they did't what would you do with them....

[Polwarth]

I don't suppose you'd get any argument from most of the real Scots on here.
Romances appear to be formulaic rubbish, written by people who've never step foot in the country.

[BornAgainScot]

Pol, that's true of most stuff written about Scotland - especially on the internet!

[teashoci]

any foreign woman can have me, I'm a dirty slut.

[Celyn]

Originally Posted by jewelzs

I'm sorry but I couldn't read another romance novel let-a-lone a scottish one. That stuff is so much s*** and you all wonder why people come on this site wanting a big scottich laird or a highlander or something like that. Please people they don't really exist in this day and time. And if they did't what would you do with them....

Well, why be sorry? Simply don't read romance novels. And no, I don't think I do wonder, exactly. Praise be to all the best deities that the dreaded Diana Gabaldon phase, at least, seems to have run its course. There was once, it seemed, quite a trend for that sort of thing amongst overseas readers.

Originally Posted by teashoci

any foreign woman can have me, I'm a dirty slut.

Oh, but I am sure you said, and quite recently, that you are “very picky” . Do make your mind up, there's a good chap. Or are you angling for that holiday trip to Port Said? Would it perhaps shock you if I were to explain that it was only a joke?

There, there, pat on head. You will recover from the great disappointment soon, I'm sure. Never trust offers of free holidays on the Internet.

[Polwarth]

Ooooh, Celyn used the Gabaldon word...

I tried to read her first booked, yawned profusely for the length of time I gave it... gave up.... rubbish book, rubbish writer.

[Celyn]

Oh, I read one of them, not the first, perhaps the second or third, I don't know - the thing turned up in a charity shop, so, what with me always being a mug for cheap books .......... Add to that the fact that so many people (on another site, mostly) were pretty much ORDERING everyone to read the great works of D.G. ... oh well, then thought I, why not? It's a great excuse for buying books that you might later want to get rid of – just tell yourself , “oh what the hell, if nothing, else, I might get some fun out of it, and anyway, the whatsit cancer fund gets a wee tiny bit of money. Twice over, if I bring it back to them and they can sell the same thing again. And probably again and again and again, in some cases. ).

About two pages in, I found myself wondering about this person who was a "bishop" in the "Church of Scotland". I don't think the Church of Scotland goes in for bishops, really, but perhaps Ms Gabaldon knows better. (That is entirely possible). Don't know. Don't much care. Entertaining in its own odd way: for instance, quite funny when, as often seemed to happen, the writer suddenly decides that she is Culpepper or any similar oldy timey herbalist and goes into a ramble about our heroine whatshername's astonishing medical skills, then Gabaldon seems to give herself a shake and wake up , and then we're back to a good old bit of claymores and blood and guts and death and misery and sex and violence. I suppose she knows what sells books – I'll gie her that.

I will confess, though, that I got interested enough to wonder which place she had in mind for the time-travel "gateway" (for want of a better word): I seem to recall wondering if she had Clava Cairns in mind, but for goodness' sake, please nobody ask me why, as I cannot remember what made me think so, and I no longer have the book.

Jewelsz - so you don't plan to read any romances any more. Good for you. Hey, off top of my fluffy little head, why not read Iain Banks instead? Start with, maybe The Wasp Factory - guaranteed not have have too much in the way of heroic handsome highlanders and beautiful maidens with heaving bosoms etc etc. A fair few deaths, right enough, but a lovely fun book, all the same.

I occurs to me that, since there are SO many of them about, why not discuss really really bad boks? My own recommendation would be one entitled "A Cotswold Tragedy" by one "Bassett Green". I *could* try to explain why it is so gloriously terrible, but it could take forever. Perhaps later. (Indeed I might well return to bore you all later, as I am today waiting in for some useful people to deliver a washing machine, so what else should I do but ramble on message boards?)