Today's TopicLove Triangles: What do you like about them? What do you dislike?
- Alyssa
Love triangles is a very sensitive issue for me when it comes to books. Why? It's a love-hate relationship that almost always ends with me hating it. I'm going to try to explain this, but I don't know how well I'll do. Guess the only thing I can do is try.
When I read a book, the characters always come to life in my head. Most of the time, as a girl, I think we females always try to relate to the protagonist - especially if it's a girl. In doing so, you sort of put yourself in replacement of the female character. That's when it gets tricky because suddenly this character has to live up to your expectations. It sounds horribly difficult, but it's not. If an author fleshes out the character well enough, then even if the character does something you wouldn't particularly do... you still understand why she did it. That's the most important part, I think.
Now, in saying that, love triangles sometime tread in muddy waters. I'm not saying that you can't love more than one person at one time. That's completely possible. What I find hard to swallow are the actions of the person in the middle of the triangle. If you love more than one person, I think you should thoroughly figure out your feelings before leading someone on. That is the part that makes me hate love triangles. Leading someone on, even when a choice is clear.
Sometimes in stories though... it's just necessary. I'm not saying that I like it any better, but the story wouldn't be the same without it. I think the best example would be Twilight. For me, from the very beginning you could tell that Bella loved Jacob but it was almost more maternal/sisterly than romantic. The choice was clear who she was going to choose. BUT, then we wouldn't have had much material to go on. Without it, the Twilight Saga may have been three not-so-thick books.
Then sometimes, a story is more interesting because of the love triangle. Nightshade would be my best pick for that. It's there, and both guys are perfect. You don't even know who to choose. Plus, the girl doesn't lead one on. In some stories, maybe the guy's leading himself on because he won't take no for an answer. Either way, it works. There's nothing forced about it, and nothing that makes it where someone is getting strung along for no apparent reason other than the girl likes the attention.
Then there's the whole good vs. evil thing. That could go either way, good or cringe-worthy.
See? I could go on and on, back and forth about love triangles. I think that a good triangle can definitely be justified, but most of the time it's completely useless - except for extra numbers on a book's page count.
What do you think about love triangles?
When I read a book, the characters always come to life in my head. Most of the time, as a girl, I think we females always try to relate to the protagonist - especially if it's a girl. In doing so, you sort of put yourself in replacement of the female character. That's when it gets tricky because suddenly this character has to live up to your expectations. It sounds horribly difficult, but it's not. If an author fleshes out the character well enough, then even if the character does something you wouldn't particularly do... you still understand why she did it. That's the most important part, I think.
Now, in saying that, love triangles sometime tread in muddy waters. I'm not saying that you can't love more than one person at one time. That's completely possible. What I find hard to swallow are the actions of the person in the middle of the triangle. If you love more than one person, I think you should thoroughly figure out your feelings before leading someone on. That is the part that makes me hate love triangles. Leading someone on, even when a choice is clear.
Sometimes in stories though... it's just necessary. I'm not saying that I like it any better, but the story wouldn't be the same without it. I think the best example would be Twilight. For me, from the very beginning you could tell that Bella loved Jacob but it was almost more maternal/sisterly than romantic. The choice was clear who she was going to choose. BUT, then we wouldn't have had much material to go on. Without it, the Twilight Saga may have been three not-so-thick books.
Then sometimes, a story is more interesting because of the love triangle. Nightshade would be my best pick for that. It's there, and both guys are perfect. You don't even know who to choose. Plus, the girl doesn't lead one on. In some stories, maybe the guy's leading himself on because he won't take no for an answer. Either way, it works. There's nothing forced about it, and nothing that makes it where someone is getting strung along for no apparent reason other than the girl likes the attention.
Then there's the whole good vs. evil thing. That could go either way, good or cringe-worthy.
See? I could go on and on, back and forth about love triangles. I think that a good triangle can definitely be justified, but most of the time it's completely useless - except for extra numbers on a book's page count.
What do you think about love triangles?
2 comments:
I have to admit that love triangles make me pull my hair out. Especially when the characters make all the wrong decisions, then again, without the drama how good would the book be? I have a love/hate relationship with them.
I don't mind the love triangles when they are believable. And sometimes the drama does ratchet things up in a good way.
I just don't like when a love triangle is thrown in just because. If it makes sense for the plot, and like you mentioned especially when it's not a character leading two people on with a clear choice, then it works for me.
Having a love/hate relationship with an LT is a good thing, a "could care less" means the LT didn't do exactly what it was supposed to.
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