Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Toni Jordan's top 10 flawed romantic heroines

Toni Jordan, whose debut novel Addition was selected for the Richard & Judy book club's summer reading list, named her "top 10 flawed romantic heroines" for the Guardian.

Her prefatory remarks, and Number One on the list:
"As a card-carrying member of Hopeless Romantics Inc, I see Lerve stories everywhere. So my top 10 flawed romantic heroines aren't confined to traditional romance novels: for me, the most intriguing part of many novels, whether they be literary, crime or popular fiction, is the romantic bit. Sigh."

1. Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Beatrice might be beautiful, brave and loyal, but you'd better stay on her good side. When someone comments that Benedick "is not in your books", she replies, "No; an he were, I would burn my study." When told that Benedick is friends with Claudio, she says, "O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease ... God help the noble Claudio!" Luckily Benedick likes it rough - when he finally proposes, she agrees " ... upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption." I wouldn't want to be in Benedick's shoes if he misses bin night.
Read about the other nine titles on Jordan's list.

The Page 69 Test: Addition.

Writers Read: Toni Jordan.

--Marshal Zeringue