B&N says recession fueling romance novel purchases

By on April 8th, 2009 In Hype!

I admit it right off — I’m a literature snob. You won’t catch me reading Harry Potter books or, god forbid, Twilight. That being said, I do understand the need to escape into a good story that keeps people coming back to these “top 40″ novels. Now, Barnes & Noble says sales of romance novels are on the rise and they say it’s because of the recession.

“The romance genre may also be especially attractive to consumers during difficult economic times because so many of the books are sold in the mass-market format, smaller paperbacks often found on racks at the grocery store or in airport bookshops.”

So romance novel sales are up because they are cheap? That reminds me of the Woody Allen joke about the two old ladies talking about their meal at a restaurant. The first lady says: “The food was so horrible.” And the second lady says: “Yeah, and in such small portions.”

Sometimes I worry about the intelligence level of the average American. I feel the same way about movies. The current top five contains “intelligent” films like Fast & Furious, The Haunting in Connecticut, Knowing and of course I Love You, Man. Aarghhh! Next you’re going to tell me 90210: The Next Generation is tops in the Nielsen ratings? Oh, sorry, the top two slots for cable Nielsen’s this week were WWE Raw. My bad.

Comments

Marketing Sociologist Says:
April 8th, 2009 at 10:17 pm

Uh, oh, Len. Wait til next week when 16-years old, $400,000 per day Miley Cyrus’ “Hannah Montana Movie,” and Zac Efron’s “17 Again” are one and two at the box office. I thought American Idiot was the #1 show on TV.

Linda VandeVrede Says:
April 9th, 2009 at 9:23 am

You know what? I read “Twilight” a few months ago to see what all the fuss was about, and really liked it. Very different. Not exactly in the same category as “Kite Runner” or “To Kill a Mockingbird,” but I can see why it has appeal.

Abbie S. Fink Says:
April 9th, 2009 at 1:24 pm

Every now and again I enjoy a good bodice-ripper. And I have read all the Harry Potters and am about finished with Book 3 of the Twilight series. But you’ll also find biographies, memoirs, historical fiction and a half dozen different magazines on the nightstand. Variety is the spice of life, right?

Lee Ann Kuster Says:
April 9th, 2009 at 5:57 pm

It depends on why you’re reading. Every book serves a purpose. Whether you’re reading Good to Great or Harry Potter (I KNEW Snape would come through in the end!), sometimes you just need to escape, and not have to think too hard about what you’re reading. For vacation? Give me a good trashy novel and the mountains and I’m set!

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