AND... have you noticed that for the most part these triangles are usually involving one girl and two boys? I've been trying to think of one where there's one boy and two girls. But am having no luck so far.
So what is it about love triangles? Why do they get us all so worked up? I think it's because usually, the decision is not a clear cut one and you feel the character's stress as they try to figure it out. And it's made so much ever harder because there's good (and perhaps bad) for both choices. It makes for much angst and agony, which in turn makes for a fun, readable, story.
Or, if the decision is clear to us the readers, the character is still in a fog and is always making the wrong decision. So we are still in that wonderful agony that we love so much.
In pondering this phenomenon, I decided it was about time for another Top Ten List:
Suey's Top Ten Love Triangle Stories
1. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
3. Wings by Aprilynne Pike
4. The Moon Below by Barbara Bickmore
5. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
6. The story of Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot.... many many authors.
7. The story of Tristan and Isolde... many many authors.
8. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
9. Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison
10. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Well, there's more, but I have to end at ten!
What books would YOU put on a list of love triangles? Can you think of any involving one boy and two girls?
I'm actually kind of tired of the love triangle thing. :/ It's been overdone now.
ReplyDeleteThe only examples I can think of for 1 boy 2 girl triangles are in classic form - old Jane Austen novels, American Tragedy, that sort of thing. It's funny, because I think boy with two choices is played more in movies and tv shows, especially comedies.
I did find one modern example but it's a bit different. In The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson, there's a girl trying to decide between a girl and a guy.
Very fun post! I love a triangle that's done just right. And it's a very hard thing to do. I am so with you on those classic ones: Sydney/Lucy/Charles from A TALE OF TWO CITIES and Arthur/Guenevere/Lancelot. So, so good.
ReplyDeleteIn my top ten I'd also have to include:
Mel/Sunshine/Con from SUNSHINE by Robin McKinley
Luthe/Aerin/Tor from THE HERO AND THE CROWN also by Robin McKinley
Adam/Mercy/Sam from Patricia Briggs' Mercedes Thompson series
George/Alanna/Jonathan from Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness quartet
Some of them resolve (in a highly satisfactory manner!) and some of them don't, but I love them all!
sry, random, ummm, is it just me or is there a Nerdfigher easter egg in Hannah Friedman's bio page for her new book Everything Sucks? Crazy!
ReplyDeleteHm, now that you mention it, I can't think of any one boy, two girls books. Perhaps I don't read enough books from a boys perspective (that would seem like the right kind of book for it). Interesting thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI finished Catching Fire last week and honestly, I was thinking about love triangles one night and how I was going to blog about it as well. It was a bit too late at night though and I didn't write anything down. And then I fell asleep :)
ReplyDeleteThe Host - 2 girls, 1 boy, 2 bodies :)
ReplyDeleteWuthering Heights
Amanda: I think I'll always love love triangles.
ReplyDeleteAngiegirl: My next choice really would have been The Hero and the Crown! And I forgot about Sunshine, but that's a great one too.
Melissa: There's got to some though, huh?
Michelle: Write a post... I'd love to read what you think.
Julie: Okay, but doesn't there end up being two boys in The Host too? And I think I should have put Wuthering Heights on my top ten. What was I thinking????
Wait, I thought Wuthering Heights was one girl two boys? Isn't that what we're normally seeing?
ReplyDeleteOne I'd add is LJ Smith's The Vampire Diaries.
ReplyDelete