Jenny Han's coming-of-age stories & sacrificial love

“Sex sells” has been a marketing mantra since the 1800s. The same strategy seems to be increasingly used to “sell” film and television to us.

In September, the teaser trailer was released for Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Like her previous film, Saltburn, the teaser has produced countless headlines and not insignificant outrage. The film itself is due for release next Valentine’s Day, but the jury is out on whether it will reveal much about love.

The original gothic novel focused on the freedom of childhood, revenge and repressed desire. The two leads unhealthy identification with each other is also key: “He’s more myself than I am”. The teaser trailer for the film looks more like a stylised bodice-ripper, and has been accused of being somewhat “Fifty Shades” of Bronte. Is this what modern audiences really want?

This year’s surprise hit television series suggests that it isn’t what everyone wants. A coming-of-age drama, based on books by Jenny Han, has generated countless blogs, social media montages, and headlines, including Vogue magazine explaining “why almost every woman you know is obsessed with The Summer I Turned Pretty”. There is an iconic love triangle with a girl caught between two brothers, deep loss when a parent dies, and a crush that has been building for literally years. It has become a huge hit. The first episode of the third, and final, season had 25 million global viewers in its first seven days, with The New York Times reporting that its main audience is 25- to 54-year-old women. The show has inspired themed dinner parties, group watch events, and even bachelorette parties.

What is the appeal? As a woman bang in the middle of the above age demographic, I must confess there is an element of nostalgia. It harks back to 1990s teen dramas, but with a soundtrack that borrows from both the Friends soundtrack and modern music. There’s an emotional chaos and intensity that recalls girlhood, and first love, but also the struggle to deal with heartbreak, grief, and learning to love yourself. These characters aren’t perfect – they and their lives are flawed and messy, making them that much more real.

Many fans have declared themselves to be on “Team Conrad” – declaring their love and loyalty for the older brother, with dad-jeans, the ability to repair household items (and even the roof, in homage to The Notebook!) and who desperately tries to stay away from the girl he loves for fear of hurting her while he is himself hurting. One episode focusing on him shows the depth of his love, longing and the sacrifices he makes for those he loves. This is a guy who wants, and works, for his love to have everything she ever dreamed of – whether or not that includes him.

In a culture full of immediate gratification, are we now yearning for… yearning? A love that endures, that sacrifices. Comparisons have been made between Conrad and Anthony Bridgerton, Jay Gatsby and even Mr Darcy.

If sex sells, it certainly isn’t the only thing that sells. Many of us are still clearly longing for a love that is not selfish but strives to be selfless. A love that doesn’t create chaos but calm. The sort of love and acceptance that we might aspire to in a marriage – but that is already waiting for us in Jesus. The sort of love Philip Yancey described when he said: “There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less.” Heathcliffe might be set to get headlines, even into next year, but many are still seeking something that is less gothic and more sacrificial.