Do you consider the book to be Chick Lit?

Use this forum to discuss the February 2018 Book of the Month, "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.
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ElizabethR
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Re: Do you consider the book to be Chick Lit?

Post by ElizabethR »

So, I think there can be different kinds of "chick lit". There's the good, and the bad. Just like with "chick flicks," some of them are actually really good. Good, in this case, means smart humor, interesting plot, and characters that are not caricatures (see Steel Magnolias or The Princess Bride). But then there's the bad: the pandering fluff that people usually associate with the term "chick flick" (see The Princess Diaries movies, Mamma Mia!, or any Katherine Heigl movie ever). Personally, I think this book is definitely "chick lit," but I think it falls in the middle. It's not quite vapid enough to be considered bad, but it doesn't have quite enough substance to be considered good.
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Post by Edgeona »

It's an interesting story especially when it has to do with women, women are complex being.
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Post by P Reefer »

Kieran_Obrien wrote: 22 Feb 2018, 09:23 Perhaps the term is a bit offensive, but do you consider the Reel Sisters to be Chick Lit?

I think there's maybe a bit more going on in the narrative that opens up its genre slightly, but it does hit all the chick lit tropes!

I'm a guy, and I found it reasonably enjoyable anyway!
I'm not familiar with the term chick lit so when I googled for a definition, there was the explanation that it related to lit that appealed to young ladies. Somehow in the few chapters, I read I don't think this book would be widely appealing to young ladies but rather a more mature audience.
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[Valerie Allen]
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Post by [Valerie Allen] »

Yes, indeed! No offense taken! "The Reel Sisters" is Chick Lit, for lack of a better term and I'm so glad you enjoyed it as much as some of us women. Again, I believe it's main focus (narrative) is to introduce a vast amount of women to 'fly fishing', as well as encourage others to further embark upon 'women friendships'.
And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. (Revelation 20:12 (NKJV) :reading-7:
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Post by Thebookstealer »

Chick lit isn't necessarily insultive. Provided a book doesn't demean women, it can be considered an empowering Chick lit.
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Post by holsam_87 »

There is definitely elements of this genre, but it felt like a celebration of friendship and love.
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Post by rumik »

I think chick lit is a weird term, if a book is about four guys you don't call it "dude lit", it's just a book about four guys! Seems like the default is always male, so if a book has female characters it's automatically considered "women's fiction" or "chick lit" instead of gender-neutral genres like "drama" or "adventure" :P
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Post by LyorBoone »

As I see it, Chick Lit strikes the notes of a romance genre. It focuses on the chase or development of a budding sexual relationship. And the stories seem like they’re tailored toward a female audience to the point that the love story is the ultimate focus and everything else is pushed to the side. The opposite of an action movie that gives guys a roller coaster ride of action and the plot allows the rest of the movie to be forgettable. The Reel Sisters doesn’t fit that description. Most characters are already married or used to be, and Sophie’s love life is a side story that comes naturally as her friend’s give advice on this issue as well as others. It shows how closely these women are involved in each other’s lives. The nature of this story is more befitting of an instant classic. I felt the same way about “The Bucket List” movie. Both show a unique aspect of life that often gets neglected in other stories.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” - Mark Twain. Dare we say the same thing about every story that gets told in the world?
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Post by tristenb »

I think that it is more chick lit than anything else. But, it does have a lot of other subjects and themes that could make it enjoyable to a man as well. However, I think mostly women will truly enjoy and relate to this book. It is about women fly fishers and ultimately the author's goal is to get more women interested in fly fishing.
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Post by Nkoo »

Even though it's chick lit and hovers around the lives and different circumstances of 5 women, it would also appeal to men because there are other themes in the book that men can find relatable.
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Post by Y0landa »

Yes, no offense taken. It could be considered Chick Lit as it would appeal more to women. I don't understand why this genre is not taken seriously. Some of the best classics are Chick Lit, naming just a few, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre... In my humble opinion, a good book is a good book despite the label. Glad you enjoyed reading it!
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Post by Ria710 »

Personally, I don't think it is a chick-lit but I guess it depends on the person whether or not it seems like a chick-lit.
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Post by NovaFly »

I think it could be classified as a chick lit but I wouldn't say that's necessarily a bad thing.
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Post by Mrunal Tikekar »

The story is about a group of women bonding and sharing life experiences. In a way, the book is empowering but with the chats between the ladies, their discriptions, etc. I do not think many men would love the book. But I would not call the book a 'Chick Lit' because I feel that term suggests that any book that pivots on lives of women is no good.
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Post by Ariely 20 »

Reading through the comments and I have just found out how the term chic lit is viewed. So I will go with contemporary women's fiction.
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