by Warren Adler, @WarrenAdler
There is ample statistical evidence showing that adult women read more novels than men, attend more book clubs than men, use libraries more than men, buy more books than men, take more creative writing courses than men, and probably write more works of fiction than men. If, as a demographic, they suddenly stopped reading, the novel would nearly disappear.
A recent perusal of the New York Times fiction best seller list, scoring sales of print and e-books combined, showed that of the fifteen titles listed, eleven were written by women. Indeed, women are the bulwarks of the novel trade. Those statistics could lead one to also believe that the reason for such disparity is that stories told in novels, the characters, plots, insights, inner thoughts, experiences and wisdom offered are skewed to reflect a female point of view.
Even if you take Romance fiction out of the mix, formula romance and its many spinoffs, a surefire product targeted exclusively to women, women readers continue to outpace men. Having even moved into reading categories once considered strictly male turf, women readers and writers today are heavily represented across many genres from science fiction and zombie novels to mystery, suspense, horror, thrillers, military, including a myriad of other sub-genres.
Heroines abound, many created by men, including myself. My mystery series set in Washington D.C., features Fiona Fitzgerald, a female detective, and like Barbara Rose, in The War of the Roses, women emerge in strong roles in my writing. Gender, in my writing process, has little to do with marketing considerations. My creative subconscious and intuition demand it, and I am certain that female writers create male characters for similar reasons, however mysterious. So, most female authors do not write exclusively about women despite the fact that they have an overwhelming female readership.
Whatever publishing discrimination might have existed for women in the past, they obviously do not exist in the present. I’m inclined to believe that women, despite once being held back by education, custom and bias, and restricted to roles primarily as caregivers and nurturers, have surreptitiously dominated the market for novels. The creative urge operates outside the parameters of gender and, despite the restrictions, women have been writing and publishing novels from the moment the form emerged.
In the murky definition where the literary crosses swords with the popular, note the names of these authors; Dickens, Balzac, Bronte, Tolstoy, Lessing, Hemingway, Sands, Eliot, Austen, Proust, Shelly, Faulkner, Joyce, McCullers, Fitzgerald, Cather, Stowe, Wharton, etc., some female and some male. Their stories have been told from the point of view of both genders; stories that are about the human species and not confined merely to an isolated gender.
The gender of a novelist is irrelevant to their creativity. The criterion is talent, a mysterious and extraordinary gift that does not discriminate. A talented female author can find her way into the mind and heart of her male characters just as a male writer can do the same with his female characters. If there is some mythical dividing line between the insight, wisdom, and literary skill between men and women, it is not apparent to me. As for the reasons women dominate the reading market or perhaps the writing profession, I don’t have the answers – I can understand economic and opportunity parity, but not intellectual and artistic parity.
As a reader, I make my selections solely on the basis of which author moves me to enter his or her world, and follow the lives of their characters into the mysteries of their destiny. I hope the readers of my work feel the same way.
Why do you think women read more novels than men? Or will the question continue to baffle, like the mystery of love and attraction?
Warren Adler is best known for The War of the Roses, his masterpiece fictionalization of a macabre divorce turned into the Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated dark comedy hit starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. In addition to the success of the stage adaptation of his iconic novel on the perils of divorce, Adler has optioned and sold film rights to more than a dozen of his novels and short stories to Hollywood and major television networks. In recent development are the Broadway Production of The War of the Roses, to be produced by Jay and Cindy Gutterman, The War of the Roses – The Children (Permut Presentations), a feature film adaptation of the sequel to Adler’s iconic divorce story, and Capitol Crimes (Sennett Entertainment), a television series based on his Fiona Fitzgerald mystery series.Adler’s forthcoming thriller Treadmill, is officially available. Learn more about Warren Adler at www.Warrenadler.com
Why do females read more? I think this is related to why more males watch more movies. Males are attracted to the action, females to the drama. A novel will never match a movie for its ability to portray action. Could you imagine reading ‘Fast and Furious’ or ‘The Matrix’? A lot of the appeal would be lost. Compare that to reading ‘The Titanic’ or ‘Thelma and Louise.’ The human interaction would hardly change.
Balish is probably right. We tend to prefer the visual as well. Not to offend, but look at pornography – men want to watch it, women want to read it.
However, I do read a lot, although my pace slowed when I began writing.
Most of the science fiction and fantasy books I read feature male characters and are written by men, only because that’s still predominantly what’s out there in those genres. But that’s changing and I have read books by women and with female leads. Like most readers, I just want a good story.
Interesting post, Warren – thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us. I agree wholeheartedly with: “the gender of a novelist is irrelevant to their creativity.” When I first started writing, I felt a bit self-conscious about my male characters and wondered if I could create authentic characters of the opposite sex. I’ve gained confidence with time and hard work, and have come to realize one’s gender doesn’t have to be an obstacle to creating engaging characters, male or female.
As to why women read more than men, I wish I knew. I’m the mom of 3 boys. Over the years I have grappled with that question, as I struggled to find books that would engage them. Only my oldest turned out to love reading as much as I do.
Cheers,
Kathy Owen
Elizabeth – Thanks for hosting Warren.
Warren – You raise such an interesting question. I think that there really isn’t one answer to it. Both men and women are complex because they’re human. So a lot of factors impact them and their choices. To me, that includes the choice to read or not, and what to read. Lots to ‘unpack’ here!
I do think women read more than men but I don’t know why. I like your reasons. Perhaps it has to do with money and gender roles. Novelists don’t make a lot of money, not at first. So for most writers, it’s a hobby. Perhaps men feel that they have to get a job that can provide for their families and so they don’t even consider writing. Women on the other hand are more likely to spend time at home where they can write. Maybe they feel it’s a way to contribute to the family income if they are stay-at-home mums.
It would be an interesting study to see if the characterization of women by male authors is significantly different than women portrayed by female authors and the same for the characterization of males by both male and female authors. My guess is that a careful study would reveal a difference. The good news is that with more female authors being published, we now get to see the humans portrayed from different perspectives and so are all enriched.
Whether it’s genetic or cultural, women show a stronger interest in people than men usually do.
Novels are about people and fill another space in that interest.
This is very interesting. I know a handful (maybe five) men who read novels on a regular basis. Maybe women just need to get away from reality (more) and the men who don’t read.
I haven’t read War of the Roses, but saw the movie. It is still top on my list of disturbing stories–and brilliant.
Thanks for blogging today, Warren. I think it helps that women are so interested in observing human nature…makes them naturals for writing and exploring human nature through books. But plenty of men share that trait, too…it just be that women outnumber them.
Interesting and important question. Maybe men are more visual and fast paced, and women are more patient and emotional.
I’m male, reading lots of books, so I belong to the minority. When I choose books, I’m not going primarily for stories. I rather read authors with weird and original thougts (e.g. Saul Below, Jean Genet, Michel Houellebecq) which are not easily expressed in fast paced movies.
My sons, however, prefer movies
In fact, the statistic I’ve seen mentioned most often is 70% of fiction bought/read by women (I’ll risk being called cynical by confessing to this being the reason I made a woman the central character in my suspense series). Traditionally, novels were aimed at diverting wives and daughters left in the country, while men went to the city to run things. That time is long gone, so all I can figure is that men find greater satisfaction in physical activity–or its symbolic equivalent (video games, ESPN, etc). If that’s not it, I haven’t a clue.
Good question – and I don’t have the answer :) In my life, the gender ‘rule’ holds true. The women I know read far more than the men.
I write romance and write from the pov of both males & females – and I actually love writing the male pov!
This is sooo true! My husband and sons do not like to read very much. I, on the other hand, love to read. But I don’t think it matters which gender writes which gender. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors. He’s brilliant at writing women.
I read lots of cozy mysteries and mostly women write them. Tim Myers writes good cozies and some of his books are written under female pseudonyms and others under his own name. I also like Parnell Hall’s puzzle lady series. I read Sherlock Holmes books. Most of the new ones are written by men. I have read the original canon by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Me and my mother read a lot but my dad doesn’t — only the newspapers. He used to read my Agatha Christies, the only books of mine that he’d read. He actually bought a book recently, the new Hillary Clinton book, but I bet he didn’t read the whole thing. He probably skimmed through it.
There are lots of men who write books, including bestsellers by Stephen King and Dean Koontz, etc.
Fascinating question, thanks for bringing it up! I used to think that women read more than men because historically, in the upper classes (where people read – the lower classes back in the 19th century, didn’t), they had time on their hands.
Quite frankly, I no longer think so. Time on one’s hands has little to do with it (who’s got time these days in the Internet age??) I believe it’s the way the female brain is wired. There are differences, a neurologist can explain all this much better than I can. But I have noticed two things:
1. women talk far more through the day than men do – men tend to be silent and monosyllabic;
2. when women describe an event or something that has happened to them, they engage in lots of description, and above all, reproduce the dialogue more or less how it took place. Men rarely if ever do that, they summarize dialogues…
With that kind of behavior, small wonder women write novels!
I think it’s complex but lots of men used to read westerns. I think I’ll start asking other men why they don’t read and find out.
Novels, more so than movies and tv, require empathy/transferrance of feelings. Readers get into the hero’s shoes and experience his or her feelings.
Women are better at this than men. (Look it up).
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