Russ Melrose
This is certainly the toughest question anyone has posed to me. I don't read romance novels, and it seems most of the couples in the novels I read either have ill-fated relationships (The Great Gatsby, The Egyptian) or experience unrequited love. But I'll give it a shot.
What comes to mind is Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera. It is, of course, a tale of love.
As teenagers, Florentino and Fermina fall in love and exchange love letters. When Fermina's father finds what Fermina has been up to, he whisks her off to Europe for an extended trip. On their return, Fermina finds that her love for Florentino has faded and her father pushes her toward a marriage with an esteemed doctor -- Doctor Urbino. She marries the doctor and pushes Florentino further from her mind.
This doesn't deter Florentino in the least. He vows to wait patiently for the death of the doctor. And over fifty years pass before Dr. Urbino dies (He falls off a ladder to his death while trying to retrieve his pet parrot who has found his way onto the roof).
Once again, Florentino courts Fermina, who eventually agrees to marry him.
I found Florentno's remarkable patience and determination to win Fermina's hand, no matter how long it took, as romantic a quest as I've ever run across, literary or otherwise.
Now, Florentino's lifetime courtship might not seem practical or logical in the light of day, but the heart is hardly a logical organ. I hope that answers your question.
Russ
What comes to mind is Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera. It is, of course, a tale of love.
As teenagers, Florentino and Fermina fall in love and exchange love letters. When Fermina's father finds what Fermina has been up to, he whisks her off to Europe for an extended trip. On their return, Fermina finds that her love for Florentino has faded and her father pushes her toward a marriage with an esteemed doctor -- Doctor Urbino. She marries the doctor and pushes Florentino further from her mind.
This doesn't deter Florentino in the least. He vows to wait patiently for the death of the doctor. And over fifty years pass before Dr. Urbino dies (He falls off a ladder to his death while trying to retrieve his pet parrot who has found his way onto the roof).
Once again, Florentino courts Fermina, who eventually agrees to marry him.
I found Florentno's remarkable patience and determination to win Fermina's hand, no matter how long it took, as romantic a quest as I've ever run across, literary or otherwise.
Now, Florentino's lifetime courtship might not seem practical or logical in the light of day, but the heart is hardly a logical organ. I hope that answers your question.
Russ
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