Top 10 Love Stories Never Made into a Movie

Many of the best and most well-known love stories ever written have been made into movies over the years. Think Austen, Brontë, Tolstoy and Hugo, among others. Below is my list of the top 10 love stories that have never been made into a movie before – some novels are widely recognized and read, while others are lesser known, but still brilliant.

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Awarded the RITA Award for Best Romance Novel of 1991, Gabaldon’s book follows Claire, a nurse in the British Army during WWII, as she wakes up to find herself in 18th century Scotland.

2. The Burning Shore by Wilbur Smith
A passionate affair between Michael Courtney and French aristocrat Centaine de Thiry leaves Centaine pregnant. In search of love and fortune, Centaine embarks on a journey of mystery and discovery.

3. The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier
A story about the making of a set of bewitching medieval tapestries that hang in the Musée National du Moyen Age (often referred to as the Musèe de Cluny) in Paris. Weaving together fact and fiction, this novel explores the connection between art and desire as Nicholas des Innocents, hired to design the tapestries, creates havoc amongst the women of the house.

4. The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer
A heartbreaking and haunting love story of a man who appears to age backwards. This novel explores the complexities of love as Max grows older, while his physical age appears to go backwards. Contrary to popular belief, the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, and not Greer’s novel.

5. Enchantment by Orson Scott Card
This fantasy novel tells the love story of Ivan and Katerina as a re-envisioning of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale combined with traditional Russian folk tales.

6. Rachel and Leah: Women of Genesis by Orson Scott Card
A fictionalized re-telling of the biblical story of Rachel and Leah – two sisters who vie for the attention of the same man, Jacob.

7. The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif
In a wide historical and geographical range, this novel describes two cross-cultural romances separated by nearly a century. The Map of Love, which was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, delves into the complexities of love and friendship forged across cultural boundaries.

8. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Sixty-year-old Father Timothy is not your typical romantic figure. This short, chubby, balding bachelor is loved by everyone in Mitford, North Carolina. Father Tim’s growing friendship with Cynthia Coppersmith, his new neighbour, brings to surface emotions he hasn’t felt in years.

9. The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato
The plot follows the lives and loves of two generations of the Manin family – Corradino, a 17th century glass-blower, and his 21st century descendant, Leonora, who is also a glassblower.

10. Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye
Hermux Tantamoq falls in love when daredevil and aviatrix Linka Perflinger stops by to have her watch fixed. After Linka suspiciously disappears, Hermux sets out on a dangerous adventure to save this woman he barely knows, but loves nonetheless.

These 10 novels are just a few of the many romantic novels brimming with romance movie potential. But don’t wait for it to be made into a movie before diving into the story – go ahead and read one now before others catch on!