Product Description

Since 1908 readers have been finding respite from the vagaries
of everyday life in the pages of novels published by Mills &
Boon. Now part of the Harlequin group, the world s largest
romance publisher, the company has published thousands of
titles, each with its own distinctive jacket art. Part of a
centenary celebration, this collection of some two hundred
Mills & Boon covers offers a fascinating visual record of how
our perceptions of romance, love, and drama have evolved
over the years. With titles such as Romance Goes Tenting,
Egyptian Honeymoon, and Beware the Beast, these novels
contents have changed dramatically as women defined their
roles in the 1920s and 1930s; searched for heroes during World
War II; strove for careers in the 1950s; engaged in free love in
the 1960s; yearned for sexual emancipation in the 1970s and
1980s; and ultimately learned a lot about self-reliance while
waiting for Prince Charming to show up. These social
transformations are reflected in the covers, chronologically
arranged as full-color plates. An introduction charts the
changing themes of the novels and explores the reasons
behind the enduring popularity of the romance novel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #782997 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-30
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
They're not exactly bodice-rippers or as dramatic as pulp fiction covers, but the romance novel art displayed in this book, dating back to the 1908 launch of Mills & Boon, the United Kingdom's leading romance fiction publisher, has a nostalgic charm and glamour all its own.
Starting as a general publisher (P.G. Wodehouse, Jack London), the firm began to focus on women's fiction in the 1920s, much of it with exotic themes and the illustrations depicted here reflect both social and graphic change, though in the end, it's the stereotypical characters that endure-the tall, dark, handsome rugged hero be he explorer, doctor, or pilot, and the young blue- or green-eyed heroine wrapped in his embrace. Quite a hoot. --Creators Syndicate

About the Author
JOANNA BOWRING is Head of Libraries and Information at the British Museum
in London.
MARGARET O BRIEN is Head of Lifelong Learning at the British Museum. She
has written extensively on cultural studies and film history.