Comments on: Unconventional Heroes, by Jade Buchanan

By: Jade Buchanan

Jade Buchanan — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:10:03 +0000

Thanks Lee! That’s so nice I wouldn’t have even had the guts to do it if I hadn’t read so many great books by some fabulous authors, though.

I never thought I’d be a rule breaker, but I must say it’s been fun!

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:51:39 +0000

I loved Brokeback Mountain, and have to agree, they are two unconventional heroes. I can’t think of any others right off that would be male on male. My reading is pretty conservative. I rarely read romance or erotica. I have the greatest respect for those authors who have the guts to push the envelope. And it is guttsy, because often the industry sets the guidelines. Those who break out, I think find a greater fan base. Because then, you touch everyone. So keep on writing, and breaking the rules.

By: Jade Buchanan

Jade Buchanan — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 05:37:13 +0000

Thanks so much, Virna! That’s such a sweet thing to say! You know, I’m a firm believer that whenever you write with emotion and passion, you can just get sucked into the story and hopefully your readers will too. And that’s definitely one thing I love about the romance genre! There’s so much out there that we can write about, so many different experiences, that it’ll never get old! Oooh, love Viscious

Thanks, Misa! I just loved your comments! Yes, it’s always great when we get introduced to something that’s outside our realm of experience. I must admit, though, that I bawled like a baby when I watched Brokeback Mountain! I’ve never been good with reading about forbidden love and heartbreak (I like my romances with a definite HEA), but those two just brought the characters to life until you couldn’t stop thinking about them. A great story can do that

Thanks so much for letting me contribute!

By: Misa

Misa — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:48:34 +0000

I’m very ‘conventional’ in my romance reading so far. I’ve read a few eroticas, but haven’t tried anything that ventures outside the norm. I suppose the most unconventional hero I’ve read and cared about is Ennis from Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain. Ennis is such a Lost Soul that you can’t help but feel for his him and the anguish he lives. It doesn’t hurt that he was portrayed in the screen version by Heath Ledger (so sad about his death). He brought the character to life on screen.

The short story itself is a great one–forbidden love, hidden love, the sacrifices people make to fit in. You could replace the characters with a hetero couple and the story would still stand up (although would lack a great deal of the tortured soul elements). It’s a tried and true formula. But the unconventional love Ennis and Jack experience gives it deeper meaning in our society and the times we live in. It helps us understand that love comes in different forms and can be lived out in different ways, something that helps us see things outside of our isolated worlds.

Ennis is an unconventional hero that stands out to me (in my limited experience!). Really interesting column, Jade. Thanks for contributing to Chasing Heroes. =)