Violence and Romance

Christina here, and today I’m contemplating violence. No, not personally, but in books and films, as well as in real life. It’s kind of hard not to with everything that is happening around the world today!

Right now I’m in Sweden again, and there have been a lot of stories in the press here lately about how gun violence and the number of murders each year are escalating. When I was growing up, this used to be a very peaceful country and if there was even one murder a year, it was a sensational story picked over by the press for weeks, if not months. These days there’s maybe one a week. ONE A WEEK! How did this happen? It’s getting to the point where no one bats an eye at reading the headlines and that’s very sad.

I think we are all becoming desensitised to violence. Or perhaps going backwards to how things were in the past, when punishments were harsh and it was a dog-eat-dog kind of world. Having studied and written about the Vikings for a while now, I’m fully aware of the brutality some of them displayed (although as I keep saying, the marauders were a minority, not the majority of the population). They thought nothing of it, nor did their victims. Given half a chance, they would have been just as violent in return. It was the norm, but that was a 1,000 years ago!

I recently caught the tail end of the film Gladiator on TV, and was reminded of the Romans’ delight in watching bloody gladiator games. Not to mention people and animals being torn to pieces for their entertainment. It seems inconceivable now, that they would sit in an amphitheatre all day expecting to see blood flow and consider it fun, but they did. Are we regressing to those times? If so, why?

I’ve never enjoyed reading pure horror stories. I watched the film Carrie by mistake once and was appalled. I swore I’d never watch another such movie and I haven’t, unless you count Jaws which I consider a slightly different genre (if still awful and something I wish I hadn’t seen, especially as I was heading to Hawaii for a holiday right afterwards!).

I don’t usually read crime novels either, although I occasionally enjoy a thriller if it’s to do with historical mysteries like the Knights Templar or ancient treasure. (Indiana Jones has a lot to answer for!) And I do read romantic suspense, fully prepared for the hero and/or heroine to have to suffer at the hands of the villain before they get their happy ever after. Some of those books have very dark themes and the heroes in particular might have done some seriously bad deeds in the name of justice. And the things the couple have to go through just to survive can be harrowing, but the knowledge that they will pull through keeps me turning the pages.

In the last few months, I’ve also dipped my toe into some weird sub-genres of romance, like high school bullying stories. Initially, it was because I remember being bullied myself, and I figured that in fiction at least, the bad guys would eventually get their come-uppance. Since that didn’t happen in real life, I knew I’d find it incredibly satisfying (yes, I still occasionally dream of getting revenge on those who bullied me), plus there was a guaranteed romance at the heart of it. However, that’s not at all what most of them were like – or not just that, at any rate. They turned out to be more than dark, some of them downright vicious!

At first, I could not believe how violent they were, and I don’t just mean a little bit of physical bullying but full-on bloodthirsty brutality. Despite their young age (we’re talking seniors in high school usually, so 17-18 years of age), some of the heroes and heroines think nothing of hurting people by any means possible to find information, bully each other, or even kill those that (admittedly) deserve it. The main characters are trained in fighting from a young age, and often proficient with firearms – both the boys and girls. They’re tougher than some superheroes and usually come from difficult backgrounds where they’ve been through a lot. In short, they are desensitised to violence and inflict/receive it without batting an eye. The villains in these stories are, quite frankly, depraved, and the reader doesn’t mourn their demise. But still … these are basically kids!

And yet, I’m reading the books and becoming almost immune to what they’re doing, just like people in real life are getting past the point of caring what is happening in their communities. Should I be worried about myself?

Jean-Leon Gerome Pollice Verso - Wikimedia Commons

The thing is, at some point I stopped really noticing the ferocity of their actions and just concentrated on the romance, the overall story and the chemistry between the characters. I started taking it for granted that they would be doing some seriously messed-up things, and that the villains going after them were truly evil. Does that mean I’m getting messed up too? Should I stop reading these kind of stories? Or is it OK, because I am fully aware that it is fiction and (hopefully) doesn't happen in real life?

There has been a lot of research done regarding the effect brutal books, films and video games are having on the psyche of young people. It is said that the risk of them behaving violently in turn is much greater than for those who are not exposed to this type of thing. Just like growing up in a harsh environment will make children behave badly themselves. They/we are being bombarded daily with news clips, text messages and social media. There is cyber-bullying and trolls who have nothing better to do than spew hate-filled messages. Often, it goes too far, and there are some harrowing stories of the consequences.

But is the answer to stop reading/watching the violence? Personally, I think young children should not be exposed to things like that until they are old enough to truly understand that it’s not real and should never be emulated. They have to be able to realise that it’s OK to kill monsters in a game, but in the everyday world, catching and punishing criminals is best left to law enforcement and those whose job it is. Taking matters into your own hands can never end well. Kids are smart and absorb learning like sponges, so if we educate them early on, they will grow up knowing the difference between right and wrong.

I’m not likely to go out and hurt someone just because it was satisfying to read about a villain getting what he deserved. I leave those thoughts behind as soon as I close the book. So no, I doubt I’ll stop reading those stories, even if each time I cringe less at the bloodshed. I am a rational person who can see the difference between fiction and reality, and I can only hope for a world where everyone gets to that point. But I will make sure to intersperse these dark stories with happy, light-hearted reads where life is much sunnier. I definitely need that!

What about you, do you read stories with violence or dark themes like bullying? How do they make you feel? And how much violence in a story is too much?

 

 

Comments

[Alice Mathewson]

wow Christina that is a big box you have opened but well done for raising it. I absolutely cannot watch anything gruesome so no horror movies for me - I loved ER for example but had to cover my eyes quite a lot of the time! I once complained to the BBC because on 5pm radio news, they gave totally unnecessary details of a murder and I had my young children in the car with me - annoyingly they were pretty dismissive of my point. I do read murder-mysteries but am likely to give up quickly if it is too graphic - I prefer the character building side of the stories. Desensitisation is a huge problem but generally I think statistics show that violence in democratic countries is going down. However there are always small groups for whom violence appear to be a way of life. I was shocked by the casual violence in 'Educated' by Tara Westover and 'The end of Eddy' by Edouard Louis and count myself lucky to live in a different environment.

[Patricia Rice]

Brilliant and pithy topic! I have been a pacifist since Day One. I had a reader of one of my first books tell me all my violent scenes were off the page, leaving only sex for the reader to view. Well, yeah... But just reading and watching the news exposes us to such graphic violence that I do think we've become desensitized. There are even times when I think "Just shoot him already" instead of cringing when watching a mystery on TV. The Romans had bloody battles because people expected bloody battles. How do we get them to expect no violence?

[Mary T]

When I was younger, I didn't mind violence or dark themes all that much. I never sought them out but they didn't bother me. I remember reading IN COLD BLOOD and watching a picture like THE GODFATHER knowing I was in for a good dose violence. But I could still appreciate them for the works of art that they were.

Cannot do that anymore though. Nowadays I can barely watch the news. I'm 78 and housebound - I need to keep a positive outlook on things. Even with my favorite genres - romance and mysteries - I'll drop the book or program if they start to get too dark.

Really interesting and thought provoking post Christina.

[Kareni]

What an interesting topic, Christina. I can stomach some violence in a book, but I tend to steer clear of gore. I'm reading Deanna Raybourn's Killers of a Certain Age which features a group of four female assassins who are retiring after forty years in the business; I'm enjoying the book even though there have been a number of deaths.

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Alice, what a shame your concerns were not taken seriously. And glad you agree about horror movies!

[Christina Courtenay]

Many thanks Pat! All good points and I’m definitely a pacifist too.

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Mary! I think you’re right - I have definitely become more sensitive to violence as I get older. And essential to keep a positive outlook!

[Christina Courtenay]

Many thanks Kareni, that sounds really interesting and unusual!

[Anne Gracie]

I hate violence in books too, but even more in movies and TV, and I think we are becoming desensitized to it. Certainly kids who grow up with it — even on their computer games — must be. Maybe that's where those mass shootings are seeded.

I particularly hate it when in a movie (for example) the "good guy" pursues the baddie and crashes cars or shoots right left and centre, and no attention is paid to all the bystanders who are probably traumatized, have cars or other property damages or whatever. Apparently they don't matter -- and that really bugs me.

[Nancy Mayer]

I read the hardboiled mysteries when I was younger butt came to prefer more cozy mysteries I don't like explicit violence anymore than explicit sex. I have books about Crime in the regency and books on the poor working conditions, court cases and newspapers of the time if I want to read about violence and horror, children being raped and murdered, or burning people alive. I now read fiction for fun.

[Monica Burns]

Okay, so I'm thinking I'm an anomaly. I LOVE a good bloody fight scene, BUT, it has to be the good guy fighting for justice. It's why I loved Gladiator and Spartacus, war movies, with lots of blood and guts. It's cathartic for me. I'm a huge MCU fan girl, and I love nothing better than Thor, Loki, Murdoch, Vision, etc. kicking some villain a$$. I don't like horror movies though, because the characters are STUPID. Geico has a great commercial about kids in a horror flick, let's take the running car a girl says, the guy says no, we'll hide in the shed with all the knives hanging from the ceiling. TSTL is something I don't handle well.

Personally, I don't believe games or movies desensitize. However, reality does. When you have news channels 24/7 pushing actual live things happening onto the screen, they bombard you with the reality. When NO ONE stands up and says stop, then you become numb to it. It's one of the reasons why the US is so divided IMHO. Too many people stood by and didn't speak up. Certain folks made it okay to make have zero respect and manners an okay thing. Movies and games are releases. Because real life sucks.

Are we regressing? I think so to some extent, but you can blame social media and news. The really sad thing is, the reason it happened is because of money. News divisions at the TV networks used to operate free and with autonomy outside of the entertainment divisions. Then a bean counter came along and said, hey why isn't news paying its way, so when news shows had to start upping their ratings, the stories became more sensational. I studied journalism in school, then changed to PR when I saw the way the wind was blowing. I knew I would be fired constantly for refusing to write sensational copy.

So, I think we're looking at the perfect storm. Greed pushing more sensational news stories, and people wanting 15min of fame doing outrageous things to get on TV. Mental health is also an issue, but there are other things you can attribute to that aspect.

Now, I'm going back to my book where my hero will do some major martial arts damage on the bad guys, because I don't see a lot of justice come across my feed or news channels these days and I need that release. Hell would be overflowing, if I found a genie in a bottle. I'm half-Italian. Vendetta's are life blood for us. *grin*

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

I love romantic suspense. Even though my rational self abhors violence, I read novels that have from low to high body count. On the low side-Jayne Ann Krentz's River Road. Or Linda Howard's Troublemaker. Moving up on the scale are books by Nora Roberts, such as Under Currents, The Obsession, The Liar, High Noon and Shelter in Place. I also devour the "In Death" series by Nora's alter ego, J. D. Robb. I've also read several books by Laura Griffin as well as certain series by Lori Foster. And I've recently discovered Rebecca Zanetti. And lastly, I've read every book, short story and novella by Karen Rose. I find her romantic suspense extremely compelling, no matter how high the body count. I should add that books by all of the authors I've listed have a compelling romance at their core. That's what keeps me coming back for more. BTW Christina - I'll read romantic suspense, no matter how high the body count. But I won't read horror. And I'm not much on horror movies. I did see Jaws. I was afraid to take a bath afterwards. (Water=shark) and I made the mistake of seeing the movie Manhunter twice and The Silence of the Lambs once. Ack.

[Christina Courtenay]

Yes those mass shootings are terrifying and you can't help but wonder if the perpetrators have been influenced by games where they shoot indiscriminately. And you're right about the bystanders in action films!

[Christina Courtenay]

You're right, Nancy, there are lots of harrowing non-fiction books if we feel up to reading about that sort of thing. We all have different 'thresholds' of how much violence we can handle, but fiction should be entertaining!

[Christina Courtenay]

I agree the violence, if it's there, has to be the good guys fighting for justice (and winning). And I don't mind so much in action films, especially fantasy ones like the Marvel movies where it's clearly not reality. I'm a huge Thor fan for obvious reasons! I have heard about the horror film TSTL characters - I guess there wouldn't be a plot if they didn't act that way but personally it would annoy me too! Lots of good points about the current news stations, although I can only comment from a UK point of view. I too am going back to fictional worlds now! Much better.

[Christina Courtenay]

LOL Binnie - Jaws was truly terrifying, wasn't it! I still keep an eye out whenever I swim in the sea, even if it's somewhere I know there are no sharks. Thank you for all the romantic suspense recommendations, I'll have to try some of those!

[Kelly A Larivee]

I'm Chair of a popular romance writing contest for unpublished writers here in the US & recently had to disqualify a paranormal entry due to a rape scene within the first 12 pages. I wrote to the author, asked them to remove this scene in order to stay in the contest, & was told the one paragraph scene was central to the story (villain was the rapist)and it would not be removed. The scene was gratuitous, came out of nowhere, involved beast on woman who was unconcious, near death, in the dirt & recently attacked by vampires. Upon doing the deed the werewolf turned immediately into a man, & was suddenly tender. None of it made sense and was, in fact, appalling. Although the writer had great talent re: narrative, imagery & description, there seemed a great disconnect when it came to relationships within the partial (as shown by irrelevant dialogue & bizarre action when other characters are introduced). In the long run the disconnect carries through to how readers might actually feel when reading (and thus vicariously experiencing) disturbing images like this in a romance novel.

[Annette N]

In the past, I could watch films and read books which were sort of violent. Not too, too violent. I was never able to deal with terrible and extreme violence.
Now, due to certain events,0 I have PTSD. There are films I used to watch and I cannot do that anymore. I no longer read books which are violent and dark.
I am not a trained therapist, but I believe that for anyone, young or old, too much violence must have some affect on a human's thought processes.
I also believe that people have become immune to anger and violent speech. It is not too many steps past constant violent speech to actual violence.
Not sure what it would take for people to become less accepting of violent speech, angry encounters and general rudeness. But, I have hope.

[Annette N]

I for one, would not be able to read past the initial scene of assault.

[Teresa Broderick]

I hate violence on screen or in books. I read and watch tv to be entertained and that just doesn't do it for me.
I understand completely Christina about murder rates rising in places that previously hadn't many. It's the same here in Ireland. Once a murder was headlines for days and everyone was appalled!! Now no one bats an eyelid when it happens. It's so sad. I think in a lot of ways the world is going backwards
I also understand about your bullying experience. It happened to my son throughout his school years and nearly destroyed him. He has never been the same since.
Marvelous post!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you for your comment, Kelly - that would have made me disqualify the story too if I was a judge! Sounds seriously disturbing.

[Christina Courtenay]

I'm sure you are right, Annette. It's difficult to know how to fix it, isn't it!

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you, Teresa! It is very sad but there doesn't seem to be any way of stopping it. As for bullying, it always amazes me how common it is and no one does anything about it! I feel for your son.

[Karin]

This post, and everyone's comments, gave me a lot of food for thought, so thank you for initiating the conversation. I'm pretty squeamish, and I never watch or read horror stories, or watch movies with a lot of violence, whether they be action or superhero or war movies. The reason I don't like it, is because I don't get a thrill out of being scared in the moment, and I find the violent images hard to get out of my head. I've never even seen Jaws! But oddly I do enjoy reading non-fiction about say, World War II or the Civil War, and watching documentaries. For instance, I watched Schindler's List, which was a meaningful and ultimately inspirational drama, but I have no desire to see Inglorious Bastards or Band of Brothers, because I suspect there is a lot of blood and guts.
Many years ago I used to read hard-boiled detective and police procedural stories, and I can handle violence on the page better than on the screen, because you can always put the book down or skip ahead a few pages. But once I discovered romance, I lost my taste for that too.
I understand that lots of people get a vicarious thrill from it, and I don't think violence in books or films really desensitizes people the way violence in real life does. Nevertheless, I agree that young children should not be exposed to violence in movies, video games, etc. It's horrifying that in the States, very young children have to go through mass shooter drills, and I can't imagine the effect it must be having on them.
I have a few vague theories about the reasons for the increased crime in various places around the world, like the increasing gulf between rich and poor, growing populations and the competition for land and resources, and population displacement due to war, famine, and natural disasters. This is a really big topic

[Christina Courtenay]

Thank you Karin - it is a very big topic and I've only scratched the surface, but it's been really interesting to read everyone's comments. I'm the same, I find it hard to get the images out of my head once they are in there. When I was fairly young I watched a TV series about Henry VIII and his six wives and there were a couple of horrific torture scenes that I can still recall to this day! I can't stand to see others suffer (human or animals). Let's hope things improve in the world!

[Vicki L]

I've never been able to watch violence or read it or horror. My granddad loved westerns. They'd come on and once the shooting started I had to run hide in another part of the house. It was TV which was fake but no. Apparently I couldn't handle watching Jungle book and my aunt had to take me out of the movie.

I can do murder mysteries where the body is there but no gore. No descriptions of bad stuff. Dick Francis level of violence I can handle.

Anything dark. depraved. etc. Nope...can't do it.

When I was in college I took a class called WWII in film which showed a lot of planes being destroyed. Ships being destroyed. So on and so forth. Actual people being killed in that moment. I don't remember getting the heebie jeebies at that point but now, I can't watch that kind of stuff even though those people have been dead for 75 years.

Never seen Jaws. Made a point of never watching the Tower's fall either because I knew I couldn't handle it.

There are definitely books I can't read in the evening because scenes will get stuck in my head and be there during the night to give me nightmares. Once an author's writings do that I'll never read them again.

A friend of mine will say oh such and such was great. I say, would I be able to watch it. He'll think about it and go, nope. So any war movie is out. Especially since they are so realistic these days.

Definitely a fine line that is getting wider for me.

[Christina Courtenay]

It is a fine line, Vicki, and we all have our individual thresholds. I think it's good that we know what our limits are so that we don't have to be exposed to things like that if we don't want to.

The Jungle Book wasn't a problem for me, but Bambi and Dumbo - OMG! Absolutely HATED that Bambi's mother was shot, and as for poor Dumbo, I couldn't stand how they treated him. Really not great films for children.