According to Wikipedia, chick lit is used to a denote genre of fiction within women's fiction written for and marketed to young women, especially single, working women in their twenties and thirties. However, as chick lit books are constantly turned into movies, not to mention them topping the bestseller lists around the world, there must be more to these novels than their glossy, pastel-colored covers.
Elements of Chick Lit
There are certain elements all chick lit novels have in common. They all feature a woman in her twenties or thirties as a protagonist and the stories are told by the protagonist's point of view. Many novels are also written in the first person, which greatly makes everything happening in the novel more subjective. The novels are mostly set in urban environments, most notably New York or London. The protagonists are never housewives - instead, they are career-women, usually in the fields of advertising, fashion or publishing. The protagonists are often single, and the chick lit genre tries and glamorize the lifestyle of a single girl, although they usually all end up with someone.
Fashion often plays a big role in a chick-lit novel - the characters can either be obsessed with it (for example, the protagonist of Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic is an impulse shopper with a great affinity for designer clothes), or the plot itself can be centered around fashion industry (Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada). The book covers often reflect this trend - they may feature articles of clothing (especially stilettos), martinis, parties and other symbols of a glamorous lifestyle. Also, chick lit should not be mistaken for romances - although most chick lit novels include a romantic subplot, it is not a general rule.
The Books That Started It All
The book that first featured all of the essential elements of chick lit was Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones' Diary. Her protagonist was a chubby, insecure Londoner who works for a publishing company. The novel is presented as Bridget's diary, which chronicles the many misadventures the character goes through, ranging from not being able to get the man she likes, to ending up in a Thailand prison in the sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.
First started as a series of newspaper articles, the two Bridget Jones novelizations became worldwide bestsellers. The popularity of chick lit was cemented by another column-turned-novel, this time set in Manhattan. Candace Bushnell's Sex and the City depicted the lives of New York socialites, from a 30-something woman's point of view. Bushnell slightly altered her articles, but the novel is more of a compilation of different anecdotes, as opposed to having a strict plot. The novel was another chick lit success, especially after it was adapted for a TV show of the same name.
Chick Lit Today
Today, the genre of chick lit is far from new, with more and more sub-genres coming out. Matron literature focuses on women between the ages of 45 and 60. Fantasy chick lit includes supernatural elements. There is now even a male counterpart of the chick lit genre, simply called lad lit.
There are many people who are critical about the genre. Some call it feminist, some call it anti-feminist. Some say that the genre is too light, other argue that light novels are just what people are in need today. However, with about 200 chick lit novels being published annually, it would be silly to dismiss the literary phenomenon that is chick lit.
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