Chick lit
Encyclopedia
Chick lit is genre fiction
which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre sold well during the 1990s and 2000s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller
lists and the creation of imprint
s devoted entirely to chick lit. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel
genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships.
, stylish, career-driven female protagonists, usually in their twenties and thirties. The women featured in these novels may be obsessed with appearance or have a passion for shopping, e.g. Carrie Bradshaw, the protagonist of Sex and the City
.
However, this has been disputed. In Publishers Weekly
, Amy Sohn redefines the genre as being about women who can stand on their own two feet. This same article refutes the previous stereotypes. Library Journal
also states that ethnic chick lit counts in the definition, mommy lit, and other sub sub genres which don't include the 20-30-something protagonist who is worried about shopping, boys and sex.
To define the genre in the most general way, chick lit features a female protagonist whose womanhood is heavily thematized in the plot. Though most often set in a contemporary world, such as in Waiting to Exhale
, there is also historical chick lit. The issues dealt with are often more serious than consumerism. Marian Keyes
's Watermelon, for instance, features a protagonist who wrestles with how to be a mother in a modern world, and there is
a growing market for religious chick lit. As with other types of genre fiction
, authors and publishers target many niche markets. Protagonists vary widely in ethnicity, age, social status, marital status, career, and religion.
term for a young woman and "lit" is short for "literature
". The phrase "chick lit" is analogous to the term chick flick
.
The term appeared in print as early as 1988 as college slang for a course titled "female literary tradition." In 1995, Cris Mazza
and Jeffrey DeShell used the term as an ironic title for their edited anthology
Chick Lit: Postfeminist Fiction. The genre was defined as a type of post-feminist or second-wave feminism
that went beyond female-as-victim to include fiction that covered the breadth of female experiences, including love
, courtship
and gender
. The collection emphasized experimental work, including violent, perverse and sexual themes. James Wolcott
's 1996 article in The New Yorker
, "Hear Me Purr", co-opted the term "chick lit" to proscribe what he called the trend of "girlishness" evident in the writing of female newspaper columnists at that time. Works such as Helen Fielding
's Bridget Jones's Diary
and Candace Bushnell
's Sex and the City
are examples of such work that helped establish contemporary connotations of the term. The success of Bridget Jones and Sex and the City in book form established chick lit as an important trend in publishing. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing
by Melissa Bank
are regarded as one of the first chick lit works to originate as a novel (actually a collection of stories), though the term "chick lit" was in common use at the time of its publication (1999). Serena Mackesy
's The Temp appeared in the same year.
Publishers continue to push the sub-genre because of its viability as a sales tactic. Various other terms have been coined as variant in attempts to attach themselves to the perceived marketability of the work. Publishers Weekly
editor Sara Nelson
suggested in 2008 that the definition of what's considered to be within the genre of chick lit has become more accomplished and "grown up".
Genre fiction
Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre....
which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. The genre sold well during the 1990s and 2000s, with chick lit titles topping bestseller
Bestseller
A bestseller is a book that is identified as extremely popular by its inclusion on lists of currently top selling titles that are based on publishing industry and book trade figures and published by newspapers, magazines, or bookstore chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and...
lists and the creation of imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
s devoted entirely to chick lit. Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships.
Composition
According to professor Suzanne Ferris, chick lit often features hipHip (slang)
Hip is a slang term meaning fashionably current and in the know. Hip is the opposite of square or prude.Hip, like cool, does not refer to one specific quality. What is considered hip is continuously changing. The term hip is said to have originated in African American Vernacular English in the...
, stylish, career-driven female protagonists, usually in their twenties and thirties. The women featured in these novels may be obsessed with appearance or have a passion for shopping, e.g. Carrie Bradshaw, the protagonist of Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
.
However, this has been disputed. In Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
, Amy Sohn redefines the genre as being about women who can stand on their own two feet. This same article refutes the previous stereotypes. Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
also states that ethnic chick lit counts in the definition, mommy lit, and other sub sub genres which don't include the 20-30-something protagonist who is worried about shopping, boys and sex.
To define the genre in the most general way, chick lit features a female protagonist whose womanhood is heavily thematized in the plot. Though most often set in a contemporary world, such as in Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale
Waiting to Exhale is a 1995 romance film starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, directed by Forest Whitaker. The movie was adapted from the 1992 novel of the same name by Terry McMillan. Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert, Michael Beach, Gregory Hines, Donald Faison and Mykelti...
, there is also historical chick lit. The issues dealt with are often more serious than consumerism. Marian Keyes
Marian Keyes
Marian Keyes is an Irish Book Awards-winner Irish novelist and non-fiction writer, best known for her work in women's literature. She has sold over more 22 million copies worldwide and been translated into 32 languages...
's Watermelon, for instance, features a protagonist who wrestles with how to be a mother in a modern world, and there is
a growing market for religious chick lit. As with other types of genre fiction
Genre fiction
Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre....
, authors and publishers target many niche markets. Protagonists vary widely in ethnicity, age, social status, marital status, career, and religion.
Origins of the term
"Chick" is an American slangSlang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
term for a young woman and "lit" is short for "literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
". The phrase "chick lit" is analogous to the term chick flick
Chick flick
Chick flick is a slang term for a film mainly dealing with love and romance designed to appeal to a female target audience. Although many types of films may be directed toward the female gender, "chick flick" is typically used only in reference to films that are heavy with emotion or contain themes...
.
The term appeared in print as early as 1988 as college slang for a course titled "female literary tradition." In 1995, Cris Mazza
Cris Mazza
Cris Mazza is an American novelist, short story and non-fiction writer.-Biography:A native of Southern California, she earned her BA and MA at San Diego State University and her MFA in writing at Brooklyn College. She has published nine novels, four collections of short stories, and a collection...
and Jeffrey DeShell used the term as an ironic title for their edited anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Chick Lit: Postfeminist Fiction. The genre was defined as a type of post-feminist or second-wave feminism
Second-wave feminism
The Feminist Movement, or the Women's Liberation Movement in the United States refers to a period of feminist activity which began during the early 1960s and lasted through the early 1990s....
that went beyond female-as-victim to include fiction that covered the breadth of female experiences, including love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, courtship
Courtship
Courtship is the period in a couple's relationship which precedes their engagement and marriage, or establishment of an agreed relationship of a more enduring kind. In courtship, a couple get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement or other such agreement...
and gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
. The collection emphasized experimental work, including violent, perverse and sexual themes. James Wolcott
James Wolcott
James Wolcott is an American journalist, known for his critique of contemporary media. Wolcott is the cultural critic for Vanity Fair and contributes to The New Yorker. He also writes a blog....
's 1996 article in The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, "Hear Me Purr", co-opted the term "chick lit" to proscribe what he called the trend of "girlishness" evident in the writing of female newspaper columnists at that time. Works such as Helen Fielding
Helen Fielding
Helen Fielding is an English novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of the fictional character Bridget Jones, a sequence of novels and films that chronicle the life of a thirtysomething single woman in London as she tries to make sense of life and love.Her novels Bridget Jones's...
's Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary is a 1996 novel by Helen Fielding. Written in the form of a personal diary, the novel chronicles a year in the life of Bridget Jones, a thirty-something single working woman living in London. She writes about her career, self-image, vices, family, friends, and romantic...
and Candace Bushnell
Candace Bushnell
Candace Bushnell is an American author and columnist based in New York City. She is best known for writing a column that was anthologized in a book, Sex and the City, which in turn became the basis for a popular television series and its subsequent film adaptations.-Personal life:Bushnell was born...
's Sex and the City
Sex and the City (book)
Sex and the City is a collection of essays by Candace Bushnell based on her and her friends' lifestyles. It was first published in 1997, and re-published in 2001, 2006, and in 2008 as a 10th anniversary movie tie-in edition....
are examples of such work that helped establish contemporary connotations of the term. The success of Bridget Jones and Sex and the City in book form established chick lit as an important trend in publishing. The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing
The Girls' Guide to Hunting And Fishing
Suburban Girl is a 2007 comedy film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alec Baldwin and Maggie Grace, which was filmed in New York City. The movie is adapted from two short stories in Melissa Bank's best-selling book The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, which spent 16 weeks on The New York Times...
by Melissa Bank
Melissa Bank
Melissa Bank is an American author. Along with English author Helen Fielding, Bank is credited with giving rise to the Chick Lit genre. She has published two novels, The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing and The Wonder Spot, which have been translated into over thirty languages...
are regarded as one of the first chick lit works to originate as a novel (actually a collection of stories), though the term "chick lit" was in common use at the time of its publication (1999). Serena Mackesy
Serena Mackesy
-Life and education:Serena Mackesy is the daughter of the Scots-born Oxford military historian Piers Mackesy. She is also the granddaughter on her mother's side of the novelist Margaret Kennedy and on her father's side of Leonora Mackesy , who wrote Harlequin romances as Leonora Starr and Dorothy...
's The Temp appeared in the same year.
Publishers continue to push the sub-genre because of its viability as a sales tactic. Various other terms have been coined as variant in attempts to attach themselves to the perceived marketability of the work. Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
editor Sara Nelson
Sara Nelson
Sara Nelson is an American publishing industry figure who is an editor and book reviewer and consultant and columnist and who is currently the book editor at Oprah's O Magazine. Nelson is notable for having been editor in chief at the book industry's chief trade publication Publishers Weekly from...
suggested in 2008 that the definition of what's considered to be within the genre of chick lit has become more accomplished and "grown up".