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A
wildly popular marketing label that has spawned many spin-offs and
sub-genres -- so, what exactly is "chick-lit," anyway?
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It all started with Bridget -- Bridget Jones's Diary, that is.
Or did it? the depiction of the
trials, tribulations, and love life of an ordinary young woman, told
with
humor in a conversational style...some would point as far back as Jane
Austen for the original chick-lit.
But the marketing tag became popular
circa Bridget. Other
examples of traditional Chick-Lit are Shopaholic, Sex
in the City, and The Devil
Wears Prada.
The original wave of Chick Lit proved
so popular that the label was extended to
include as much as possible -- the "chick lit" umbrella now covers many
sub-sub genres, with spins to
include mysteries and detective stories ("tec-lit" or "lit noir"),
paranormal ("spook-lit"), and women who are not young, single fashionistas
("hen lit," "bride-lit," "mom-lit," even "widow-lit").
The "hen-lit" starring and intended
for women-of-a-certain age (generally 40 and beyond) is evolving into
"cougar-lit," for those who find the term "hen" to be overly-clucky.
Cougars are so much more sexy and empowered!
There is chick-lit for all ages and
different ethnic backgrounds.
There is even chick-lit for guys,
primarily in the U.K., termed (inevitably) "dick lit"
or (more politely) "lad lit."
With all this welcome and enjoyable diversity in protagonists' lives,
ages, and goals, what do all the chick-lit variations share?
Primarily the tone and 'tude. No matter how awful things are --
despite vindictive bosses and cheating boyfriends, financial losses and
fashion disasters -- the heroine maintains a light, breezy tone, a
self-deprecating, ironic attitude, and
a sense of humor to help ease
the turmoil.
Here's a good article from a few years
ago that summarizes the genre:
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA623004.html
For reviews of the latest offerings in
chick-lit and women's fiction, see the terrific website Candy Covered Books.
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