Monday, June 20, 2005
What Women Read?
- Swapna Raghu-SanandBorn in India, studied in Africa and completed GCSE O levels from London, Swapna Raghu Sanand returned to India where she completed five year course in law from Kochi. Author of two non-fictional books and one anthology of poems published by Minerva Press,London, Swapna is a freelance columinist on lifestyle and socio-legal perspectivees for The Hindu MetroPlus (Kochi). She is also a columnist for online literary magazine of the University of Liverpool and presently married to a Supreme Court lawyer and working as an editor in an esteemed American publishing house at New Delhi. Through her 'Capital Bites', Swapna would try to keep the readers at SAWF updated about the movements and happenings at various fields from the National Capital Region of Delhi and other areas too.
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Most men complain that women are addicted to TV ads, TV serials and tear jerkers but give them a good book and they make a hundred excuses. Women say they have yet to find a 'good book'. Obviously, a man's definition of a good book is totally different from a woman's definition.
What is a woman's definition of 'good book' apart from the must have culinary cook books ?
I have been studying the reading patterns of women and talked to many women at length as to what they mean when they say a 'good book'. Interestingly, most of them gaveiinteresting similar answers so I am sharing them with all of you to corroborate my recent study.
Lets see.
Five Factors that Influence a Woman in Choosing a Book:
1. A good blurb floors a woman like a good dress. And if 'romance' is a word sprinkled on the magical covers, well, I don't think a woman likes to resist it. Certain words on the blurb of a book however inspire a woman to put it down almost like she has been badly scalded . These words include ' action thriller', 'gruesome murder', 'bloodbath' or ' rape' and list goes on.
2. Universal favourite story themes of women readers include historical fiction, bravery of a woman protagonist during wartimes, family relationships, romance, family sagas spanning three or more generations , a marriage on the rocks, fidelity v infidelity in a relationship, divorced women v world, wife v the other woman etc.
3. A majority of women readers feel comfortable reading a book written by another woman. Most women readers feel that male writers treat women characters with little substance as though to prove a point while women writers endow them with strength and integrity. This is a debatable point though.
4. If many men have applauded the book, a woman reader would think twice about picking it up. So much for trust.
5. Classics remain a favourite no matter what. Evergreen heroines are Scarlett O' Hara and Jane Eyre.
Examples of Books that a Woman Reader may never Like to Read:
1. Autobiographies of political personalities, memoirs of scientists, sports persons, singers etc.
2. Non fiction subject oriented books like say History of Butterflies or say Probabilities in developing Robotics.
3. Cheap sizzling novels on sex.
4. Books on animal stories.
5. Modern poetry.( unless it is for academic purposes and not for pleasure reading)
Recent studies across the world on the healing powers of writing have given rise to a new debate: can reading heal depressive traits in a human being?
This debate is blazing trail of controversy. Women are more prone to depression than men so perhaps it is not a bad idea to curl up with a book and at the end of it, feel renewed and refreshed altogether.
What say?
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