Runaway Bride has an introduction that attempts to put the reader either in a state of curiosity or awe over the characters and initial understanding of the world the author attempted to create. However, this attempt backfires as the reader is completely perplexed by what was going on in the beginning chapters, taking away from the experience.
The story starts off with Elizabeth Song, in a bridal veil, sitting on a bed. The time period, interestingly enough, was 1923 in China which was an interesting take that doesn’t quite get used enough in the novel. Anyways, Elizabeth sits nervously, followed by a shadowy figure kicking the door open. It was Jingmo who immediately lifted up her veil.
Jingmo thought that the person in the bridal veil was Jingyu Song, Elizabeth’s older sister. It was also hinted that the man in question wasn’t Jingmo Lu, the person wedded to Jingyu. Jingmo asks why the supposed, Jingyu was back after running away with her lover, mocking her in a sense.
Lifting up her veil and breaking a few unspoken rules, Elizabeth lifted her veil to clear the confusion. However, it turned out that the man was blind.
Readers that like Runaway Bride also read My Runaway Bride (Tagalog)
Jingmo explained that he was blind and that Elizabeth was the one who asked for his hand in marriage. Jingmo then essentially forces himself on Elizabeth, in an attempt to compensate for the lost intercourse. This had well backlash for other relatives of Elizabeth and let’s just say that there were gunshots.
- Part 1: Main Theme of Runaway Bride
- Part 2: Beyond Confusing Plot in Runaway Bride
- Part 3: Problems with the Writing in Runaway Bride
- Part 5: Conclusion
Part 1: Main Theme of Runaway Bride
Runaway Bride is, quite obviously, a romance novel. The novel itself is relatively short so you can get in a good hour or two of a piece of writing that does justice to romance as a concept. The representation of love in this novel is one that pertains to conflicts, pertains to yearning, and needs quite a lot of work to achieve. That is exactly what you get.
Tatiana and Dario, two important characters in the later chapters, represent what I’m trying to convey perfectly.
You can expect a fair share of drama in this novel and the comedic tones are minimal considering the simplistic style the author took to convey the story to us. Simplicity is something inculcated throughout the novel numerous times through writing and tone alone, though while the nature of the story is rather simple it feels beyond convoluted because of its execution.
Part 2: Beyond Confusing Plot in Runaway Bride
This beginning was probably one of the most convoluted and weak introductions to any novel that I have ever read, the introductions to the characters were poor and the reader was expected to just figure things out as if they were in the position of the author. The concept of the story’s beginning is there, it’s strong, but it didn’t get a proper execution.
The lackluster introduction had an adverse impact on the rest of this short novel as well, considering we had a minimal understanding or connection with the characters, especially Elizabeth. Intense moments felt quite diluted and weak despite the scene itself not being bad, the novel is just plain confusing overall.
This can be attributed to many other factors like the quality of the writing or translation alongside the Chinese representation.
Readers that like Runaway Bride also read My Runaway Bride (Tagalog)
Part 3: Problems with the Writing in Runaway Bride
Writing is one of the biggest drawbacks that this novel presented. It is quite lacking, not necessarily bad, but overly lacking in the context of the bigger picture it tries to show us. Words are sometimes TOO simple which confuses the reader with their minimal detailing. Short sentences are proliferated densely throughout this novel, and the use of longer ones could have been a saving grace for it.
The introduction was hit heavily with the lack of quality of writing which had an impact on the rest of the novel, despite it getting slightly better as the chapters progress.
This isn’t entirely to blame on the author at all actually, translations vary in quality for Chinese novels, and matters like these are to be expected. A fan of the genre, a fan of simple and sweet drama would not be tainted by the quality of writing since it isn’t especially unusual.
The novel itself is relatively short with less than 40 chapters. This can be considered a very positive thing since short, sweet, and simple romance novels that only take a few hours to read can be enjoyable at the same time. It is a short-lived burst of enjoyment, though the short sentences definitely had an impact on the medium-length chapters with low quantity.
While it is repetitively inculcated that the novel prefers simplicity and minimal-length chapters, the content within those very chapters is nothing short of unique and overly dramatic in a good way. Elizabeth being violated and then almost getting shot because it is a genuinely serious and pitiful connection of scenes, though I was just in awe over the daringness of the writer to write such situations.
While Tatiana and Dario exchange loving remarks and inculcate a wholesome vibe coming out of them, Dario straight up says that they should go upstairs to do what they should have done after marriage. These expressive, dramatic, and straightforward scenes that lack transition actually became one of my favorite things about this novel. It gives a lot of character to the novel itself.
Part 5: Conclusion
Runaway Bride is a novel with a lot of contrast within itself. The reader feels conflicted as to whether this is even a good novel or not, that was the case for me. However, these very conflicts represent the character that this novel has, and the influence it has on the reader.
Reading Runaway Bride isn’t about appreciating masterfully created pieces of writing, it’s about the experience of observing an imperfect novel, one that makes you feel and express emotions that no other novel could at such exaggerated levels.
Oddly enough, I recommend Runaway Bride as one of those novels that you both love and hate. It might not have been the best read in the world, though it was an especially memorable one that sticks with you for longer than most masterpieces out there.
Readers that like Runaway Bride also read My Runaway Bride (Tagalog)
