So you want to see the magic in the world? That sounds interesting, but please be careful where you look.
This story certainly seems to have every element people people criticize about romance. First there is the journey of the young man, followed by sex, magic, transformation into an animal, abuse, people sleeping with animals, near death experiences, the near loss of body parts, a happy ending, and a lot of laughs in between. It's hard to say where to start if we only discussing the events of the story. Since we have all read the story anyway, let's just skip to the important part.
Lucius' story is about journey and metamorphosis. He is a young man who is venturing out to see what the world is about and hoping to see some magic. Of course, romance is nothing without a journey. The notes at the beginning tell us the story was once much longer. This is not surprising. The worst part about the end of any story is that there is no more to savor. I will admit this is not my favorite story, but it is funny and enjoyable. It's easy to see where this story could expand with more adventures.
The metamorphosis of the story comes when Lucius is magically turned into an ass, a form he remains in for the majority of the story. This journey and metamorphosis can be viewed as the journey from boyhood to manhood. Upon leaving his father's house where he was taken care of, Lucius saw new sights, had new experiences, and got himself into trouble. Isn't this pretty typical of young men? His experiences are extreme, but that gives us more of a sense of adventure and escape which is what romance does best.
It is obvious there are life lessons about peeping in keyholes and consorting with questionable women and trying to grow up too fast. However, the great thing about this story is the escape. I can't imagine anyone pondering their worries of the day while reading this story. The day I read it, I ended up sending text messages to my best friend telling him what outrageous thing had happened next. When he got back, he wanted to know more. Beyond the humor which is easy to get caught up in, the story takes the reader from their cozy reading chair in the middle of their busy, noisy, stressful life and catapults them far away where they reside for a bit. This story is a journey not just for the character, but more importantly for the reader. This is what romance does, this is why it is popular and one reason it is important. We need an escape once in a while. So go ahead, read romance; it's fun and cheaper than resort vacations or psychologists. Remember, don't go peeping in key holes-send Lucius to do it instead-let him be the Ass.
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