Urban Settings in Chick Lit Novels
Are Metropolitan Locations in Women’s Fiction a Cliché?
Apr 17, 2008
The genre of women’s fiction commonly called “Chick Lit” has often been criticized for being formulaic. It isn’t hard to argue that many books have are certain elements in common. These traditional ingredients of Chick Lit start with a shiny, pink book cover and end with finding Mr. Right (who was right under the protagonist’s nose the whole time). What are examples of Chick Lit novels that take place in the city and why is this setting such a popular choice for authors of Chick Lit?
The City Girl Syndrome
The early pioneers of Chick Lit lived in big cities. Think of Bridget Jones in London and Carrie Bradshaw in Manhattan. Other cities are often featured in the novels of Chick Lit authors, as well. For example, Philadelphia is the setting for Jennifer Weiner’s Good in Bed and Sarah Dunn’s The Big Love.
Does this setting reflect the lifestyle of the characters, though? As Cathy Yardley says in her book Will Write for Shoes, “the idea behind using an urban location is to provide what is assumed to be a more exciting, fast-paced, high-toned lifestyle.” This lifestyle often includes designer shoes, expensive restaurants, and rich men—none of which you could write about (believably) in a small town setting. Other example can be found at Chick Lit Books.
The Emergence of Small Towns
One new sub-genre of Chick Lit includes what Yardley calls “Small Towns, Chick Lit Style.” While traditional Chick Lit novels might include a small town girl making it in the big city for the first time, these new books showcase a city girl in a rural location. Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes is one popular example.
Movies such as Sweet Home Alabama and television shows like The Simple Life also use this formula. Some authors, however, write within a less populated setting without looking at the glamorous side of life at all. Jennifer Cruisie’s novels are bestsellers for possibly this exact reason. Not all women are entranced by metropolitan locations. Not everyone can relate. Read descriptions of Crusie's books and notice how setting is mentioned.
The Importance of Setting
Characters are often shaped or influenced by their setting in some way just as real people have a relationship to their hometown or their favorite coffee shop. One thing is for sure, regardless of where the book takes place, the author should do her research and make the reader believe it.
An author who wishes to write about a character in Dublin, should learn a bit about it and maybe even visit before trying to insert street names into her setting. There’s nothing worse than reading about your favorite city and finding mistakes in the geography.
Maybe the best choice for writers is to write about places they know rather than trying to force their characters into a setting that doesn’t quite fit. Readers enjoy books about characters and interesting plots, not solely because they’re interested in the setting.
