Here's why:
The Stowaway
There's almost always this one guy that's so much in love with the heroine that apparently he has abandoned the idea of self-respect. I'm always a little sad for this character. This is sometimes the close friend that has been there through all the heroine's trials and has stuck by her through the worst of situations. If handled well, the stowaway can actually be good for the story, but sometimes things go way too far.
The heroine, whether she knows it or not, tortures him. He is more like a servant than a friend. He is at her every beck and call. It gets worse. Sometimes this character tries to move on, he tries to forget her. He knows she prefers the other guy and tries to back off...What does the heroine do? She gets jealous!
Whoa! I'm sorry that the stowaway decided to dig up some dignity and get over you. How dare he not remain as your back up?! Seriously?! Ugh! Get over yourself!
Little Miss Perfect
May I introduce you to Her Majesty, the Queen? *rolls eyes* She is perfect in every way. She is Belle, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Princess Jasmine all rolled into one. This type of heroine creates love triangles that aren't even love triangles anymore. They become some type of messed up love polygon with uneven sides.
This is just crazy! The heroine is so perfect that insta-love is bound to happen. People just fall in love with her off the street. NOBODY dislikes her, and if they do, it's because they're jealous. They're jealous that she just radiates awesomeness and they can't be like her.
And the love interests? They come out of nowhere. The stranger off the street is in love with her, her closest guy friends are fighting over her, the pizza boy is in love with her, guys suddenly forget they have girlfriends around her. All hail the queen!
Oh, come on! Sorry, but I like my heroines to be have little quirks and faults. I don't buy the whole "everyone is in love with her" business. Oh, please.
Fickle, Fickle, Fickle
This is when the heroine claims to be totally in love with one character, but as soon as she's thrown into a different setting with a stranger, she's in love with the stranger! That's actually fine compared to when she cheats on her boyfriend for another dude or falls for a guy with a girlfriend. I've always hated those type of love triangles. Girlfriend = off limits. Stop, please, just stop! Where's the loyalty? This love triangle might actually work for some people, but it doesn't work for me. Loyalty is one of the traits I admire most in the people around me.
BOOM!!!!! Surprise!
The love triangles that come out of nowhere! I know I don't like love triangles, so I run away from them. If I read a blurb that makes it seem as if the story will turn into a love triangle, I usually don't read it.
However, there are books that have outsmarted me. Let's say I pick up a book and I say to myself, hmmmm.... this looks good. So there I am reading without a care in the world. Then suddenly the book starts to change.
BOOM! Love triangle!
NO! How did we get to this place?! By then it's too late, I'm already too far involved in the story. I'm already hooked. And I MUST know what happens. I MUST! If you're going to do a love triangle atleast warn a girl! Gee!
Were there any love triangles that actually worked for you? I've always thought that love triangles were hated by everyone until a Goodreads user told me she actually liked them. Am I being too harsh? If there's a book with a love triangle that worked for you, recommend it!
Gah I hate love triangles for all the reasons you mentioned. I usually end up not liking the heroine to much because to me she ends up looking like a user and I hate that.
ReplyDelete-Kimberly @ Turning the Pages
I hate users as well! That's why I put the stowaway as the first on my list. Poor guy! Always being misused :(
DeleteSometimes I can handle love triangles if the author can write the story-line in a way that doesn't annoy me, but that's very rare. I don't see why the main girl can't just find one guy that she is happy with. Why is it so hard for her to make decisions?
ReplyDeleteAgreed! lol! Sometimes I wish she'd just do a coin toss and get it over with. Honestly, there has to be someone she prefers. I wish the boys would just say, "you know what? you can't make up your mind. Ok. We're gone. You just go ahead and think all by your lonesome self. We don't want to hurt your fragile brain." lol!
DeleteI might be exaggerating a little, but seriously, these heroines need to get it together!
I completely agree. I like love triangles when they're done right. Sadly too many of them are done exactly how you've described them. Too often you end up with a wishy washy Mary Sue and two boys who fall for her for absolutely no reason. They just don't feel real at all.
ReplyDeleteI liked the love triangle in The Hunger Games, but it worked because it wasn't the driving element of the plot, and you could see why Katniss had feelings for both Gale and Peeta.
I don't like love triangles at all, but I could tolerate the love triangle in the hunger games, but I still disliked it (even though I LOVED the series). Katniss got on my nerves a bit though.
DeleteI recall her being jealous over someone paying attention to Gale and I was shaking my head cause she still hadn't made up her mind yet about who she liked more! lol!
lol. MOMO. Your rant was so funny. Yeah. I never knew why you didn't like love triangles until now...with all of your fully supported arguments. You do our high school English teachers proud.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Lisa! I'm glad to know I'm spreading the love for fully supported arguments. Those teachers taught us well! *fist bump*
DeleteYou basically described how I feel about love triangles.
ReplyDelete