I wanted to tell you about some great classic books related to Valentine’s Day. But there aren’t any. It seems that, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, the magic of Valentine’s Day doesn’t translate well into adult literature. There are many children’s books about Valentine’s Day but authors haven’t been inspired to write Valentine’s Day stories for the grownups. A pity.

There’s no shortage of classic romantic stories, of course. The genre referred to as the Romance Novel is the most popular among today’s readers. It has a long history but literary critics largely dismiss it. Their common complaint is about the narrow scope of stories, with heroines that have no other issues than love and marriage. That is a limited view of what this genre offers readers.

A Romance Novel succeeds as quality literature when it has a compelling story that evokes a particular time, place or culture, when it explores the human psyche and relationships and when it demonstrates what makes us unique while connected with one another. It’s the same criteria we use when judging novels in most genres.

Classic Romance Novels that succeeded in their day and have endured through time include Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Alexandre Dumas-fils’ Camille and Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind. Contemporary authors who are frequently successful with Romance Novels include Sophie Kinsella, Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and – yes, there is a male author high in the ranks – Nicholas Sparks.

Romance finds a natural home in poetry, with rhythms that resonate in the heart. Some of the best classic examples can be found in the writings of Keats, Byron, Wilde, Dickens, Browning, Burns, Shelley and, of course, Shakespeare. A wonderful contemporary poet who, with great wit and insight, writes about love in all its facets is Wendy Cope. You can read some of her work in an article in the UK’s Daily Mail. Here’s a sample of Cope’s work to entice you:

Valentine
My heart has made its mind up
And I’m afraid it’s you.
Whatever you’ve got lined up,
My heart has made its mind up
And if you can’t be signed up
This year, next year will do.
My heart has made its mind up
And I’m afraid it’s you.