Is a plot more important than true love?

Reading is one of my favorite hobbies!  Ever since I was a child, I loved carrying a book around with me.  I remember making my little brother sit with me as I made up the stories to pictures in the books.  To this day, I am not a fast reader, but that is not my goal while reading.  Diving into a story is very enjoyable for me, and I am always looking for another book or series with which to spend my time.

 

This post is not about my love for reading, though.  It is about my frustration with writers, authors, and the importance of a dramatic plot.

Every single book I have read in the past few years has consisted of infidelity or death.  Death is a part of everyone’s life, so I understand writing that into a story.  It is traumatic and usually requires growth and understanding of the characters.  But infidelity?  IN EVERY SINGLE NOVEL??  Is there not any other drama one can create besides cheating on a significant other?

I just finished a memoir, a book I thoroughly enjoyed and read within two days.  This piece of non-fiction also contained infidelity!  It did not disturb me as much, which was strange, because it was a real account.  But even as I turned the pages, I read this man cheating on his wife, and I almost put the book away.  It really upsets me.

Apparently, about 50% of marriages end in divorce, which is sad enough.  Why must this issue and sadness plague the pages of my reading that I intended to enjoy?  Am I naive for wanting a story with true, unending love?  There are enough problems within marriage and life, and it does not always end with someone being unfaithful to the other person.

Marrying my husband was one of the best decisions of my life.  I trust him completely.  I trust him with my words, feelings, secrets, darkness, dreams that are a little outrageous, my body, and my life.  Seeing all the marriages that have ended with adultery has always worried me, but not with him.  I would have never married anyone if I thought that would be an issue.  I know, I know.  Not everyone can predict the future and shit happens.  But this is one of the most important things to me in life, a loving and true marriage.

Maybe this is why I’m so sensitive to infidelities in stories?  Whatever my reason may be, I still think stories should step out of this “mainstream” and find something else to focus on.  There are PLENTY of issues in marriage other than someone being selfish enough to step out on their loved one.  I honestly do not understand why so many authors choose to highlight this negativity.

 

If you have any suggestions of delicious books that do not involve someone crushing their significant other’s soul with cheating, I am VERY open to reading them!  I love fiction and moving stories, but I do not love reading selfish accounts of adultery.

I believe in REAL, honest, faithful love and know it exists!