Contrary to the perception that readers are passive, isolated women hopelessly waiting for their prince to come, readers of romantic fiction are active and seek to form bonds among women. (1293)
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Romance readers are very knowledgeable about the publishing conditions of their genre, and actively work to change them. Readers are not passive, isolated women hopelessly enmeshed in fantasies of patriarchy. Although this evidence is anecdotal, and this portrait of the reader would not hold true for every reader of romantic fiction, most readers are more active than previous studies have suggested. The kind of activity and energy displayed by the readers suggests that the experiences which surround reading may provide a more accurate reflection of the reader than the content of the books themselves. (1296)
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