“Love in the Clouds”: Barbara Cartland’s Religious Romances
2009; University of Toronto Press; Volume: 21; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.3138/jrpc.21.2.002
ISSN1703-289X
Autores Tópico(s)Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices
ResumoBarbara Cartland has become a byword for pulp fiction, the epitome of popular culture lacking progressive purpose and deeper meaning. It is well known that Cartland wrote sentimental romances, but the extent to which these were written against the backdrop of a spiritual framework with the intent of propagating a “religion of love” is little realized. This article discusses how Cartland represents romantic love as a means to accessing an “absolute reality” transcending ordinary experience. Focusing on her novel Love in the Clouds as a case study, I will examine how Cartland used the popular romance genre as a platform for a spiritual awakening of her readers. Her ideas and influences will be contextualized within the tradition of religious romance writing.
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