reviews_and_ramblings | Gay Soap Opera: barrier of language or...

Gay Soap Opera: barrier of language or...

... how my twisted humor can be sometime misinsterpreted?

Today I stumbled upon a post by Carol Lynne: http://ohgetagrip.blogspot.com/2009/05/pros-of-series-writing.html. It was a nice post on how to build a series to "captivate" the reader book after book. I believe Carol Lynne is quite a master in this tecnique, since I'm an eager reader of her two continuous series, Cattle Valley and Campus Cravings. I tagged the series "Gay Soap Operas" and for me it was a big compliment, since every single book is a little story in a biggest overview, and while reading a book you are giving details on the life of the other inhabitants of the community (to work better these series have to be set in a small community, like a village or a small town, where everyone knows everyone). A book could be better than another, but in the end you buy and read all of them since you don't know if something is happened in a specific book to one of your favorite character (that usually makes a small cameo appereance here and there) and above all you don't know if an important detail for the story of a future character is given.

What surprised me is that Carol Lynne at first was hurt from my tagging her books Gay Soap Operas, and I didn't know it, and it wasn't absolutely my aim to offend her... for me it was a compliment! I have tags as "Breeches Rippers" (that actually was not my invention, but it was born from a chat with Erastes); years ago if you said to a romance author that her books were Bodice Rippers, it was a big offense; now historical gay romance authors are happy when I tag their books Breeches Rippers... see how the perception changes?

But what happened with Carol made me think... when you read that I tag a book Gay Soap Opera, you give a negative connotation to my words?

Anyway I wrote this post for two main reason: 1) to reaffirm that I don't post about book I don't like. I have 622 books in my reading list, some of them I haven't had the time to read and some of them I don't like at first impression, and they slid down the reading list. If I post on a book is since I liked it or at least I found something interesting in it. 2) to reassure readers and authors that it's not easy to offend me (even if I had my rants and all of you know how badly I can react to them); but if you don't like something I wrote, please tell me, I'm more than ready to a) explain you my reason b) listen to yours.

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Hi, Elisa!

I went to check your reviews of Carol Lynne's boks and they are quite positive, so the concept soap opera as you used it there is all right.

But if you ask out of a context, yes, in fact for me it would be slighlty negative. For me a soap opera is something going on forever with very little developments or too drastic developments.

I'm not the kind of person looking at soap operas though.
Neither are you, I suspect, not having a telly. Maybe that's the problem?

Have a nice week end!

Antonella

Probably I saw my last soap opera 20 years ago, but my mother still sees them, and she records the days she can't. I try to tell them that, even is she loses a day nothing will change, but she is quite stubborn... probably as I would be I if you say to me to skip a book in a series I'm reading ;-) Elisa

Hi there :) I am quite new in your LJ and I really enjoy all of your posts. What I wonder was: Have you ever written a review for Deviations by Chris Owen? Or did you read and not like it? I was looking for your review and couldn't find one.

Sorry if this is off topic.

All the best from Germany!

cornflake

Oh, and I agree with Antonella about the Soap Opera. It has indeed a negative touch... at least for me.

Have a nice weekend!

Mmm... see, I didn't realize it. For me it was absolutely not negative, but probably it's since I saw few soap operas and the one I saw, I liked. Elisa

Maybe we have to define first: What exactly is a Soap Opera? QAF? Dante's Cove? Hm...

As the World Turns, Days of our Lives, General Hospital... the daytime ones, I believe. I haven't seen QAF, but it was a night time, right? so probably it was more like Friends, a tv fiction? Elisa

You haven't seen QAF? Oh my, you are missing something :) You have to watch it! It will open your eyes in a lot of ways ;) You are reading the most amazing books but give your eyes a rest and enjooooy Queer as folk :) I promise, you won't regret it.

@ Soap Opera: Yes! Like Friends and Sex and the City I guess?

The problem is that 1) I really haven't time to do anything else other than reading and blogging ;-) 2) a bird told me that QAF has not an happily ever after :-( Elisa

Never enough time, never enough. I wish for more, too, sigh!

QAF has a happy ending in a kind of way. But it's not that important... the characters are so interesting and very well developed that you will enjoy the ride so much, that you will understand the ending. It just has to be that way, you know?

Just like Brokeback Mountain: The movie doesn't end good, but it will affect you so deeply that it will stay in your mind forever.

Also books which have a happy ending are wonderful and nice to read, but I guess you will confirm that the one with a sad or not so good ending are the one you will always remember. Because it touched your heart.

I read the first Deviations when I still didn't have a LJ, so I didn't review it. Actually I have the four books, but BDSM is not my thing, and so I never read the following one. Can't say that I didn't like them, since really I never start to read them, and truth be told, usually I like Chris Owen's work. So maybe sooner or later I will re-read the first book and the following one. Elisa

I just wondered, because actually they seem to be one of the most popular books by Chris Owen, right? I am very interested in BDSM books and I am reading your reviews about those books eagerly. Thanks!

> I just wondered, because actually they seem to be one of the most popular books by Chris Owen, right?

Yes they are ;-) And from what I read in the first one, and all the various comments around, they are quite good. So if you trust a second hand opinion (means that it is what I listen around), you can give them a try. Elisa

Oh no, I already read them a few thousand times, because they are fantastic!! But I would love to read a review :)

A tag like that wouldn't deter me one bit. Soaps can be amazingly well done, though I admit most are not.

So you and me are on the same level. Also I think that some soap operas can be so good to become addictive. Elisa

I don't find your use of the term "gay soap opera" negative. I mean that's kind of what they are, right-- a series about all the goings on of the residents of this one town or college campus. And I say that as someone who has read all the books in both series and really enjoyed them. Then again, I used to love television soap operas too, so maybe that's why I don't see the term as negative. *shrugs*

Also, I second what cornflake said about QAF-- you really should watch it if you can find the time. I loved Brian and Justin muchly (and their sex scenes were super hot). You're right, it doesn't end with an HEA, but nobody dies or anything, so it's possible they might get together again someday. Or you could just skip the last episode and pretend that never happened. :P

Also have to agree with cornflake about the Deviations series. I don't really like BDSM either, but I enjoyed these books immensely.

Ahah you are all conjuring against me to let me have another fixation ;-) I can't start to see "real" gay soap opera, since knowing me, I will never stop and then, no more book reviews ;-) Elisa

For me, 'soap opera' means a bunch of people who never get their acts together for more than a week or so and can't go out for a newspaper without getting into trouble (after interminable waffling, Couple A marries and go on their honeymoon, only to be kidnapped by parrot smugglers), so, yeah, it might mean I wouldn't seek out a book described that way. But... soaps are immensely popular and the emotional storyline is their primary focus, so I think that's a reasonable comparison for a series romance that focuses on a community rather than one couple.

But unless a review is overwhelmingly good and I know the reviewer's taste is a lot like my own, I go by excerpts. If everyone's telling me a book is really good, that comparison wouldn't be a deal-breaker.

Generally, though, I think 'soap opera' isn't flattering. It suggests a potboiler--something churned out in a hurry to meet a deadline with a lot of emotional flailing in place of a serious plot.

I realized that most of the faults usually linked to a soap opera plot stick to the term in the way I used it. In this case probably a comment by a reader would have made me realize my error, and instead there was none and I continued to use it... But sincerely I can't find anything better. Cattle Valley is a Soap Opera, not since the plot is bad, but since it isn't a series you can read here and there, to appreciate the whole you have to read it all. Reading only a book I believe it will be confusing and the final judgment will be negative. Elisa

So much of what we feel is individual, so I can't speak for others. For me, I would just think it would give me an idea of what it might fall under.

But I like you said here--and good for you, that you read and review books you enjoy. I don't see why else you would do it.

QaF did not end well. I hated the way it ended, and considered the last two seasons to have a lot of bad writing and bizarre distortion of characterization. The first three are fun. Many people very into it stop at 314 and consider the series finished. I myself stopped watching at 510 and never watched the final episodes since I knew it wouldn't be what I wanted.

Maybe they changed the writers of the script? I will consider to see at least the first two season and then I will see. Elisa

Great post Elisa.

I personally didn't find anything bad about the term "gay soap opera" when I saw it on your review. I don't think badly of soap operas even though I haven't watched one in years. But I can understand how not everyone feels that way. I also love Carol's series very much.

As for Deviations, that's another great series. However if you don't enjoy reading BDSM it may not be something you'll enjoy. I loved them.

Lily

Thank you Lily. And you raised another interesting point on my "reviewing": if an argument is not my cup of tea, it doesn't mean that the book is not good. I know, for having listened around, that the Devitions books are good, but BDSM in general is not my thing. So probably if I read them, the result will be that my post would be tepid; so sincerely I prefer to not "force" me to read them, or at least to wait a period in my life when I will be more well disposed. Elisa

The phrase doesn't offend me or call to mind any negative connotations.

"Gay soap opera" to ME says "serial, with sequels and likely appearances by already known characters" rather than crappy writing and long, boring things nobody cares about.

I think it all depends on one's perception of what a soap opera is... and mine (as far as books go) isn't anything bad. Just... dramatic elements, familiar setting and the occasional cameo appearance. LOL

~Tis

> Just... dramatic elements, familiar setting and the occasional cameo appearance. LOL

you summarize perfectly those gay series, only that they are not always dramatic ;-) Elisa

True enough... but even if there's a thunderstorm in the story, it could conceivably be considered a "dramatic element". :P

Whole other thing from drama, sometimes. LOL

~Tis

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