Unusal love stories for this V-Day

A quick selection for word lovers

Whether you’re obsessed with romance and candy hearts or think it’s a scam invented by the greeting card industry, Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to curl up with a good book (especially since it falls on a weekend this year).

Here are few unconventional romance novels that even the cynic in you can enjoy

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

The historical fiction novel by American author Taylor Jenkins Reid tells the story of a fictional Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo, who at the age of 79 decides to give a final interview to an unknown journalist, Monique Grant.

The story is loosely based on actors Elizabeth Taylor, who was married eight times to seven different men. Actors Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth have also said to be sources of
inspiration for the character.

Cobalt Blue

Sachin Kundalkar’ debut novel, ‘Cobalt Blue’ follows two siblings, Tanay and Anuja who fall in love with the same young man who comes to stay at their house as a paying guest. The Marathi novel was translated to English by Jerry Pinto.

The Course Of Love

Alain de Botton’s novel follows a couple, Rabih and Kristen, who fall in love, get married and have children. What’s interesting about the book is that it gives us a sympathetic account of the relationship that begins only after the courtship has ended.

There is no such thing as a “happily ever after” the novel proclaims and instead explores how a couple sustains their relationship despite all its imperfections.

The Shadow Lines

One can argue that the novel by Amitav Ghosh can hardly be classified as a romance novel, but one could also argue that it is very much a love story as much as it is about family, nation and nationalism.

The stories of Tridib and May, as well as the narrator and Ila, forms a very integral part of the plot and in many ways even drives it forward.

The End Of The Affair

The 1950 novel by Graham Greene is a story of love, heartbreak and jealousy. It follows Maurice Bendrix, a rising writer during the Second World War in London, and Sarah Miles, the wife of a civil servant.

Greene’s own affair with Catherine Walston has been a source of inspiration for the book.