Did St. Teresa of Avila forbid romance novels?

[timeandeternity]

I was recently reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila and I was struck by something she said about her childhood: Her mother enjoyed reading romantic books, so St. Teresa would read them as well; however, looking back, she saw how much harm that had done her soul.

I’ve noticed that my little sister tends to be rather “romantically” inclined as far as books and movies (as much as a nine-year-old can be). Now knowing how detrimental that can be, I feel obliged to talk to my mom about it so that it can be changed. I keep finding excuses not to because I can’t work up the guts to say something. Please help!

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

I was recently reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila and I was struck by something she said about her childhood: Her mother enjoyed reading romantic books, so St. Teresa would read them as well; however, looking back, she saw how much harm that had done her soul.

Given your follow-up concern about your younger sister, I think you may have a misunderstanding about the type of books St. Teresa was talking about. Only in the last forty years or so have novels labeled “romances” been exclusively about love stories between a man and a woman. In St. Teresa’s day and well into the 20th century, “romances” were adventure stories. Any swashbuckling tale of derring-do was considered a romance. This is why even St. Teresa’s contemporary, St. Ignatius of Loyola, was said to be a fan of “romances” before his conversion.

timeandeternity:

I’ve noticed that my little sister tends to be rather “romantically” inclined as far as books and movies (as much as a nine-year-old can be). Now knowing how detrimental that can be, I feel obliged to talk to my mom about it so that it can be changed. I keep finding excuses not to because I can’t work up the guts to say something. Please help!

Since you note that your sister is “romantically inclined” insofar “as a nine-year-old can be,” I think you are worried that she is too interested in fairytale romance of the sort where a young girl longs for Prince Charming. If this is the case, please do not conflate your concern with St. Teresa’s distaste for “romance” novels after her conversion.

Unfortunately, in our culture, children are introduced at ever-younger ages to the love interest between men and women. Young girls in particular tend to fancy that they have a “boyfriend” and to be interested in male-female romance. So you are not entirely wrong to be concerned if your 9-year-old sister is overly interested in boys and romance. But if you decide to talk to your mother about this – and it is a reasonable concern to share with your mom – I recommend that you limit yourself to expressing concern that your sister seems too interested in boys, and refrain from seeking to substantiate your concern with St. Teresa of Avila’s reading tastes.