Originally Posted by a mere housewife

Joe, I have heard from several women that the books have had a serious influence on giving them unrealistic expectations of men --to the point where it has caused marital problems, or problems being able to be in a relationship with and maintain an admiration for a 'real' man. Basically these heroes are created by women: they are, without those who admire them realizing it, very effeminate men --always knowing exactly what to say to a woman, and how, and always focused on her etc., despite being so rugged, silent, and dreamily 'manly'. Real men don't exist as they do in a woman's mind. And some girls I know have never been able to accept this after reading the romance novels --they find the real men inadequate, too authoritarian, too 'gushy' when they are in love, too unsure of themselves once they trust you. They are always comparing a real person against an idea of a man made up by another woman, and finding the masculinity that is the real complement to femininity, made by God, to come up short. It's more than very sad.