When it comes to Chick Lit. (the genre of books which address womanhood on a light-hearted note) or romantic literature as a whole, a new age author whom I have grown to love is Cecelia Ahern.
Cecelia Ahern is an Irish female author, who completed her Bachelors Degree in Journalism and Media Communication before embarking on a writing career.
When Ahern was 21, she got her first break as a writer with the book P.S I Love You which has been dubbed as a cult classic by many fans, and the American movie based on the book only added to her fan following.
Ahern’s bibliography includes 11 novels, apart from a wide range of short stories and even a television series titled Samantha Who?
Her other novels: Where Rainbows End, If You Could See Me Now, A Place Called Here, Thanks For The Memories, The Gift and The Book Of Tomorrow were also bestsellers.
Ahern’s writings mostly include overcoming emotional obstacles and are often surrealistic. She uses magic, hope and romance, and her work consists of ‘feel good’ books. Not only is her writing positive it also provides food for thought. Even though Ahern’s books have been listed under Chick Lit., they hardly follow the conventional boy-meets-girl story line. Even if her books do end on a happy note, they are not done in a deliberately clichéd manner.
Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors simply because of her beautiful descriptions. Some of her writing gives me goose bumps because her tone is nostalgic and one that the reader can easily identify with. Her style is warm, and while her plots are largely concerned with romance, healing and overcoming personal obstacles, it is never preachy.
While Ahern’s P.S I Love You is credited as her most outstanding work, the movie is said to be even better. This topic is up for debate but to book lovers all over the world, the book is simplistic but laced with emotions that we all feel.
In today’s world where the greatest love stories are the ones where either the hero or the heroine dies (Refer to: A Walk To Remember, Love Story, books by Nicholas Sparks), P.S I Love You manages to stay away from clichés and is concerned with how the protagonist moves on even after losing her spouse.
Ahern, in each of her books, has a different approach to story telling. She has experimented writing in different styles and though she manages to pull it off in most of her books, the effect is rather confusing in others. For example, her book Where Rainbows End is written in the form of letters, cards, chat sessions, notes etc. and the way the story evolves is simply wonderful. On the other hand, The Book Of Tomorrow tends to be confusing the first time you read it.
Cecelia Ahern’s books are mostly aimed at women and she caters to her niche very well. One of the best romance authors today, she is young, refreshing and a true role model for those of us who wish to make a tryst with the pen and paper.
Hamsini Hariharan
Image Source [http://blog.timesunion.com/kristi/files/2011/03/chick-lit-books.jpg]
