Bonkbuster (a play on "blockbuster" and the verb "to bonk") is a term coined in 1989 by British writer Sue Limb to describe a subgenre of commercial romance novels in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as their subsequent miniseries adaptations.
Genre history
Although the term has been used generally to describe "bodice-rippers" such as Forever Amber (1944) by Kathleen Winsor, as well as Valley of the Dolls (1966) and the novels of Jacqueline Susann and Harold Robbins, it is specifically associated with the novels of Judith Krantz, Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran, and Jilly Cooper, known for their glamorous, financially independent female protagonists and salacious storylines. Many of these novels were adapted in the 1980s into glossy, big-budget miniseries, reminiscent of primetime soaps of the time, such as Dallas, Knots Landing and Dynasty.
Examples
- Scruples (1978) by Judith Krantz, adapted as a 1980 miniseries
- Princess Daisy (1980) by Judith Krantz, adapted as a 1983 miniseries
- Bare Essence (1980) by Meredith Rich, adapted as a TV series
- Chances (1981) and Lucky (1985) by Jackie Collins, adapted as a 1990 miniseries
- Lace (1982) by Shirley Conran, adapted as a 1984 miniseries
- Sins (1982) by Judith Gould, adapted as a 1986 miniseries
- Mistral's Daughter (1982) by Judith Krantz, adapted as a 1984 miniseries
- Crossings (1982) by Danielle Steel, adapted as a 1986 miniseries
- Hollywood Wives (1983) by Jackie Collins, adapted as a 1985 miniseries
- Queenie (1985) by Michael Korda, adapted as a 1987 miniseries
- Return to Eden (1985), novelised by Rosalind Miles
- I'll Take Manhattan (1986) by Judith Krantz, adapted as a 1987 miniseries
- Till We Meet Again (1988) by Judith Krantz, adapted as a 1989 miniseries
- Dazzle (1990) by Judith Krantz, adapted as a 1995 miniseries
- Lady Boss (1990) by Jackie Collins, adapted as a 1992 miniseries
- Torch Song (1993) by Judith Krantz
References
- The Telegraph, 18 February 2002 Accessed 2007-11-11.
- Sydney Morning Herald, 19 June 2002 Accessed 2007-11-11.
- "Bonk word that bust convention". the Guardian. June 18, 2002.
- "Observer review: Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor". the Guardian. July 27, 2002.
- "Sex in the suburbs: a history of the bonkbuster in six books". the Guardian. July 28, 2012.
- Haines, Chris (October 1, 1997). "Media Circus". Salon.
- Cummins, Anthony (May 21, 2016). "Harold Robbins's cocaine-fuelled bonkbusters sold 750 million copies — and they're far better than Fifty Shades". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
- "How the bonkbuster novel came to define a generation". The Independent. August 17, 2019.
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