By Azeeza Rawat
Edited by Humairaa Mayet
The genre ‘Women’s Fiction’ in the literary world continues to be a topic of debate. What is Women’s Fiction and does this genre perpetuate gender stereotypes?
When I was writing my first book, I had an image of the story set out in my head. Dark, intense, serious – perhaps a psychological thriller. Having concocted such a complicated plot, so much so that I am still editing the plots and subplots at this moment, and overwhelmed by the imaginings of my own mind, I knew that if I had to write another novel, it would have to be different. Lighter, simpler, funnier. Only after having written ‘the end’ for this second novel, and having spoken to other writers, did I realise that what I had written might be classified as women’s fiction.
I was happy with having my book fall into the genre of women’s fiction. I didn’t give it much thought. ‘Yup, sounds cool. I’m a woman writing about a woman. Makes sense,’ I said.
Until I started digging deeper into the world of women’s fiction, and I started to question what this category really means for female writers and readers.
Of course, I went straight to Google to find some examples of women’s fiction, to get a better understanding of this genre. But what hit me was a ton of books of varying styles, voices, and plots. From The Bell Jar to Beach Read. There’s Pride and Prejudice and Confessions of a Shopaholic. Not to mention, I spotted The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The Help, and The Handmaid’s Tale. I’m not saying I can’t find common, albeit distant, threads between these novels, but what stands out for me is that one of the thickest threads connecting these novels is that they are novels written by females about females. And is this enough to necessitate a separate genre?
Photo: womensprizeforfiction.co.uk
What is women’s fiction?
According to Good Reads, women’s fiction is a broad overarching category that includes a group of genres and subgenres including romance, commercial fiction, ‘chick lit’ and more. This genre is defined as ‘books that cater to the preferences of women.’
But this all sounds vague. So, I looked up another definition of women’s fiction. In a Reedsy YouTube video that mostly highlights the problems within this genre, Reedsy added to my understanding of women’s fiction by pointing out commonalities in the genre. Women’s fiction novels have female main characters and are usually marketed to the female readership. Most importantly, these stories center around the female journey and the female experience.
Furthermore, the female protagonist usually undergoes some sort of emotional transformation. There may or may not be a romantic subplot, and these stories usually veer towards lighter fiction.
According to author and writing coach, Romy Sommer, books classified as women’s fiction are allowed to have a tragic or unhappy ending, while for the typical romance novel, publishers and readers expect a happy ending.
Photo: static01.nyt.com
But what is wrong with classifying novels as women’s fiction?
The publishing industry has always possessed a sexist streak, and I’m reminded of the 19th century when female writers donned male pseudonyms to stand any chance of getting published. This was practiced by Emily Bronte (author of Wuthering Heights), Charlotte Bronte (author of Jane Eyre), Anne Bronte (author of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall), Mary Anne Evans (known as George Eliot, author of Middlemarch), and Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women), among others.
When novels by female authors are classified as women’s fiction based solely on gender, it makes one wonder if female authors may start utilising male pseudonyms again, just to be able to fall into the genre of their choice or a better fitting genre.
On Book Riot, the problem does not lay with the books that make up this genre, but with the term ‘women’s fiction’. When a genre is defined as fiction for women, and books that women enjoy, we start to question how a whole genre is based solely on gender. Women read across all genres and have varied literary tastes. Is it not stereotypical to assume that all women are looking for the same kind of books? And by defining women’s fiction as lighthearted, is it not implying that women are writers and readers of less serious and less literary fiction?
And yet, Book Riot points out that the genre ‘women’s fiction’ gives no indication of what the story is about, about themes, plots, or styles to expect, which is clear in other genres. But the most disappointing aspect of women’s fiction is that it indirectly places ‘men’s fiction’ as the given, precisely because there is no genre as ‘men’s fiction’, and ‘women’s fiction’ has been neatly and specifically circled in bright red marker.
In 2014, an article in The Guardian pointed out that by terming the genre ‘women’s fiction’ and by putting an emphasis on gender, we face the risk of excluding readers, of deterring men or individuals who don’t identify as female from enjoying the stories in this genre.
But most importantly, the term ‘women’s fiction’ does not encourage men to read books with female protagonists, while women are constantly reading classics and modern novels with male protagonists, many of which are required in school. According to Lit Hub, using the category of women’s fiction assumes and reinforces the stereotype that men don’t want to read books about family life and motherhood, and that these stories are just not literary enough for men.
Photo: womensviewsonnews.org
How can women’s fiction help female readers and writers?
Some readers and writers are happy with the women’s fiction genre, and that is okay. If you write a book intending it to be women’s fiction, and you feel that the genre best represents your story, then embrace it.
And while I have highlighted passionate criticisms of the genre above, there are some benefits to the genre too.
I believe the genre shines a light on issues that women face specifically, and by doing this, it acknowledges how the lived experiences of women may differ from other identities. Topics such as gender-based violence, domestic life, motherhood, and societal pressures on women are popular themes in women’s fiction. If these novels happened to fall in another genre, such as thriller or YA, the aspect of gender may have been marginalised.
Another important aspect is that readers find this genre helpful, as it guides them towards books with the kind of themes or mood they are looking for, without a restriction on the plot.
Women’s fiction also provides the opportunity for strong female characters to shine. Often, women’s fiction authors take important topics, such as non-fiction themes of racism or new motherhood, issues that many people can relate to, and the authors convey these topics through a personal, intimate story, as seen in the novels The Help or The Push. Both these books are great examples that women’s fiction need not be tame or light. They can be advocates and they can be conversation starters.
Photo: wp.penguin.co.uk
While we may have come a long way, and female writers no longer use male pseudonyms to survive in the publishing industry, we still have a long way to go. Although women’s fiction gives the illusion of making room for female writers and readers, in contrast, it seems to put women in a box, or rather, in a neat closed-off section of the shelf.
Once the rest of the shelf, and the rest of the shop, allow space for women (and all other non-male humans), will we be closer to creating inclusivity and equality for all in the books we read, and the books we write?
Comments