#not including the entirety of the ABC dynamics that are purely romantic and drip of homoerotism lmao not just enjolras and grantaire

[la-pheacienne]

What is the most romantic story you have ever read or watched?

This one will be long, sorry, I can't just pick one. I looked for the definition of "romantic" in various dictionnaries and I singled out these definitions (excluding the Romanticism of the 19th century although the two can coexist obviously) :

"marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized"

"characterized by, or suggestive of an idealized view of reality"

"visionary"

"conducive to or characterized by the expression of love"

"exciting and mysterious and having a strong effect on your emotions"

So the main things to look for here are 1) idealism (as opposed to realism) and 2) strong emotions, which leads to 3) love, that is naturally the perfect form of idealism evoking strong emotions.

Most romantic stories I have ever read, in no particular order:

A Tale of Two Cities. "I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul". A man sacrificing himself for the woman he loves, taking the place of the man she loves in the guillotine, you can't get more romantic than that.

Les Miserables. It is a Romantic story and a romantic story, both, of course. It is in every way THE romantic story by definition, every single possible version of romantic love is present here. Marius and Cosette's love at first sight is the definition of idealistic love as a copying mechanism for misery, loneliness and abandon. "What Is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul". Eponine's love and sacrifice for Marius and Cosette's happiness is the purest form of selfless devotion, born out of a context of complete vileness and depravity. Grantaire sacrificing himself for the ideals that Enjorlas believes in, out of pure love and devotion for Enjorlas as a person and not because of his personal political ideology, is also purely romantic. I would even include Valjean's love for the Bishop Myriel here because it is just so idealistic and wholesome and heartbreaking and life changing and larger than life.

The Great Gatsby. The romantic element is one sided here. It is personnified in Jay Gatsby, whose fatal love for the unworthy Daisy is the essence of "romantic", it is purely idealistic and thus completely clashes with the harsh reality, but we can't help but be drawn to his utter devotion, emotional drive and integrity. That's why he's The Great. "They're a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together". "Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!"

After these three I have to mention:

Wuthering Heights, for the dark side of romantic love. Here love is mainly the force of evil, but still, it is presented in its most idealistic form. "He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same". "Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I can not live without my life! I can not live without my soul".

Jane Eyre. "I have for the first time found what I can truly love–I have found you. You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel–I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one". I mean. Self explanatory.

Pride and Prejudice. Not exactly my definition of romantic because the realism is strong on that one, but still, it is the OG story where two people change their very personality because of their love for each other and it merits a place here. And also for quotes like this "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you".

Gone with the Wind is also pretty romantic imo, despite the strong realism of both Scarlett and Rhett. Well, it merits a place here because this book really cemented the trope of a fictional character that is morally ambiguous (rotten even) and very realistic in the raw sense of the word but at the same time has an intense, soul-crushing idealism. Both Scarlett and Rhett are big idealists and they have an inner conflict between that idealism and their natural tendency to focus on the here and now. I love that. Very popular trope in American fiction.

As for the most romantic stories I have watched, that should be a post on its own I think because I can think of plenty of movies/shows, if we don't count the adaptations of the books I just mentioned here.