evelyn_b

Hm. . . If the parallels are accidental (and independently arrived at), I guess stranger things have happened! I can believe it, but only just. Some things, like the positioning of the prettier cousin and the asshole shopkeep uncle within the story, are very similar. If it's not a deliberate homage, then "McCullough read The Blue Castle in middle school and then forgot about it" feels a little more likely than "totally independent takes on the Cinderella story," but I'm not a text detective; I don't actually know how you determine this kind of thing. I'd be curious to read the essay, though, if you know where to find it!

I also like romance novels in theory! But whether I've ever managed to read one without immediately filling up with petty complaints depends on how narrowly you define "romance novel." I really liked Persuasion, does that count? Is The Blue Castle a romance novel?