Fifty Shades of Grey is Good
The Internet is full of blog postings, reviews, and essays, everything to do with this new phenomenon. Prior to reading the novels, I was blatancy rude in saying that this was just another 'band wagon' jump. I was sucked in more to determine if there was any merit to the craze that had caused all my female coworkers to be whispering about the topic at lunch and break time.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" is a good book for three main reasons. The first is that it reminds us that romance is not dead. The book is full of romantic perfection and it reminds men what women actually want. This book is classified as erotic fiction and it finally brings to mainstream fiction the obvious use of sex to move along a story line. It also reminds society that not all sex is 'vanilla'. There are all types of sexual activities and being aware of other lifestyles is important o open your mind to new ideas.
Romance is not dead. You have to read the book to appreciate this but in reality our male protagonist. Christian Grey is a romantic at heart. Romance is defined as "A strong, sometimes short-lived attachment, fascination, or enthusiasm for something" (TheFreeDictionary dot com). With that definition in mind it's important to remember that this is truly a story about two people in love. Of course it is marketed as the newest BDSM book, but in reality it is a love story. Men would not admit to reading this book and it's always assumed that the majority of readers are women. Women are thrust into a story where the man is perfect. It's the typical romance story and if that makes men realize a little more clearly that women want romance, love, and to be swept off their feet, then it's a good thing.
There has always been a fine line between erotica and romance. "This Film Is Not Yet rated" (Director -- Kirby Dick, 2006) paints an interesting picture about Hollywood movies and how much sex can be put into such films. The world of literature is very unclear and my understanding is that it comes down to the words being used, not so much the actions being described. Society has come a long way in how we talk about sex and this is just a stepping-stone in the evolution of sexual media. This novel takes a great leap in exposing the BDSM lifestyle, but more importantly allows adults to read a story that would be rated R.
Talking about sex I a relatively new activity and although not everyone does it, many people converse about sex in general, or depending on their friends, talk in detail about their sex lives. Everyone wants to know how much sex is enough. Everyone wants to know the best way to do certain things. Human nature is driven by sex, as hormones running through our body affect many decisions in our lives. This novel opens up the reader's eyes that spanking, nipple clamps, punishment, and the whole sub/dom lifestyle do exist and our stereotypes on who does this type of activity should be wrong. E.L. James paints a picture of a very hurt man who needs control in his sex life. It is psychologically wrong what he does but it still reminds us that for those that have been married for years and our sex life has become boring, there are options.
I am not suggesting that this book should be winning any literary awards. I believe it fits in the same category as Harlequin romances, and the Twilight books. It is a 'fluff' book, as I like to call it, something that requires very little thinking and the simplicity of the prose allows you to read it quickly. It is a good book in that it is allowing women to have a conversation with their partner regarding their need for romance, their need for excitement in their sex lives, and most importantly that sex is normal and you shouldn't be ashamed to read such a book.
Fifty Shades of Grey is Bad
Fifty Shades of Grey does not deserve the hype that it is receiving. There are so many things wrong with the book that concentrating on the book for its literary value is only the beginning. Mainstream media has exploded with talk about this book and everywhere I turn people are talking about the book -- radio, television, house parties, lunch tables. It is hard not to get sucked into reading the books and I did just that.
From a literary standpoint the book did not give an accurate depiction of the BDSM lifestyle. Accuracy is important in many elements of fiction and this is one where those that know about BDSM are putting up a fight declaring the inaccuracies. The storyline is cheap, similar to every other romance book ever published. Telling women they can change a man is wrong. The story really has no plot. It's simply a three-month (I'm guessing here because I really didn't pay attention to that detail in the story) recount of two people having a lot of fights and a lot of sex.
BDSM stands for bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism, which is the idea of getting and giving pleasure through pain. It is not a new phenomenon. Many large cities have clubs or groups where you can learn how to safely engage in these acts. BDSM also relates to the idea of one person in the relationship being the 'sub', submissive to the other, whereas the other person is the 'dom', or dominant. The control over the other along with painful experiences can be very sexually gratifying for both partners. The issue is that the novel is incorrect in the types of bondage (certain types of rope are dangerous and electric ties can cut off circulation). It also really isn't about a BDSM relationship. Those who read the book believing that lovely Christian and beautiful Ana had a BDSM relationship will be shocked when they research further to see what really means.
Another fallacy of this book, which exists in many other novels, is the idea that there is something wrong with the man and the woman can fix him. Women want to fix things. I am a woman and I understand that. From being in a relationship I know that you cannot change a man. The transformation that Christian depicts from the beginning of the trilogy to the end is not because of Ana. She did not change him. Her annoying behaviour, which is sometimes outright stupid, demonstrates her need to change her man. This is so far from reality that any woman who tries to do this in real life will be startled at the outcome. One male friend who has heard about the novels told me he is disappointed that women will now believe that they all have the power to change a man's faults.
As a writer I struggle with this all the time. When you are writing erotica it's easy to simply have the following recipe -- dialogue -- sex -- dialogue -- sex and so on. Unfortunately when you are writing a full-length novel (or three in this case), you need to have something pushing the story. The only thing that happens in this story (and no I'm not giving away any good parts) is that Ana and Christian meet, they have sex, they fight, they have sex, they fight, they live happily ever after. The conflict is shallow and the characters do not develop. Ana is still the shy woman who goes from having no sexual experience to only one type of sexual relationship with one man. Christian is still arrogant and powerful, using his money to control his woman.
Fifty shades of Grey is a poorly written book and the media has grasped this "Mommy Porn" as being the new romance. Any book of this genre could have been the next big hit and soon we will all forget this craze, as a new literary rage will begin. This book has not taught us anything about proper BDSM, it teaches women how we can change a man, and the novels have no plot, the only thing making us continue to read is the sex scenes, which are comparable to any other erotica publishing online.
The Internet is full of blog postings, reviews, and essays, everything to do with this new phenomenon. Prior to reading the novels, I was blatancy rude in saying that this was just another 'band wagon' jump. I was sucked in more to determine if there was any merit to the craze that had caused all my female coworkers to be whispering about the topic at lunch and break time.
"Fifty Shades of Grey" is a good book for three main reasons. The first is that it reminds us that romance is not dead. The book is full of romantic perfection and it reminds men what women actually want. This book is classified as erotic fiction and it finally brings to mainstream fiction the obvious use of sex to move along a story line. It also reminds society that not all sex is 'vanilla'. There are all types of sexual activities and being aware of other lifestyles is important o open your mind to new ideas.
Romance is not dead. You have to read the book to appreciate this but in reality our male protagonist. Christian Grey is a romantic at heart. Romance is defined as "A strong, sometimes short-lived attachment, fascination, or enthusiasm for something" (TheFreeDictionary dot com). With that definition in mind it's important to remember that this is truly a story about two people in love. Of course it is marketed as the newest BDSM book, but in reality it is a love story. Men would not admit to reading this book and it's always assumed that the majority of readers are women. Women are thrust into a story where the man is perfect. It's the typical romance story and if that makes men realize a little more clearly that women want romance, love, and to be swept off their feet, then it's a good thing.
There has always been a fine line between erotica and romance. "This Film Is Not Yet rated" (Director -- Kirby Dick, 2006) paints an interesting picture about Hollywood movies and how much sex can be put into such films. The world of literature is very unclear and my understanding is that it comes down to the words being used, not so much the actions being described. Society has come a long way in how we talk about sex and this is just a stepping-stone in the evolution of sexual media. This novel takes a great leap in exposing the BDSM lifestyle, but more importantly allows adults to read a story that would be rated R.
Talking about sex I a relatively new activity and although not everyone does it, many people converse about sex in general, or depending on their friends, talk in detail about their sex lives. Everyone wants to know how much sex is enough. Everyone wants to know the best way to do certain things. Human nature is driven by sex, as hormones running through our body affect many decisions in our lives. This novel opens up the reader's eyes that spanking, nipple clamps, punishment, and the whole sub/dom lifestyle do exist and our stereotypes on who does this type of activity should be wrong. E.L. James paints a picture of a very hurt man who needs control in his sex life. It is psychologically wrong what he does but it still reminds us that for those that have been married for years and our sex life has become boring, there are options.
I am not suggesting that this book should be winning any literary awards. I believe it fits in the same category as Harlequin romances, and the Twilight books. It is a 'fluff' book, as I like to call it, something that requires very little thinking and the simplicity of the prose allows you to read it quickly. It is a good book in that it is allowing women to have a conversation with their partner regarding their need for romance, their need for excitement in their sex lives, and most importantly that sex is normal and you shouldn't be ashamed to read such a book.
Fifty Shades of Grey is Bad
Fifty Shades of Grey does not deserve the hype that it is receiving. There are so many things wrong with the book that concentrating on the book for its literary value is only the beginning. Mainstream media has exploded with talk about this book and everywhere I turn people are talking about the book -- radio, television, house parties, lunch tables. It is hard not to get sucked into reading the books and I did just that.
From a literary standpoint the book did not give an accurate depiction of the BDSM lifestyle. Accuracy is important in many elements of fiction and this is one where those that know about BDSM are putting up a fight declaring the inaccuracies. The storyline is cheap, similar to every other romance book ever published. Telling women they can change a man is wrong. The story really has no plot. It's simply a three-month (I'm guessing here because I really didn't pay attention to that detail in the story) recount of two people having a lot of fights and a lot of sex.
BDSM stands for bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism, which is the idea of getting and giving pleasure through pain. It is not a new phenomenon. Many large cities have clubs or groups where you can learn how to safely engage in these acts. BDSM also relates to the idea of one person in the relationship being the 'sub', submissive to the other, whereas the other person is the 'dom', or dominant. The control over the other along with painful experiences can be very sexually gratifying for both partners. The issue is that the novel is incorrect in the types of bondage (certain types of rope are dangerous and electric ties can cut off circulation). It also really isn't about a BDSM relationship. Those who read the book believing that lovely Christian and beautiful Ana had a BDSM relationship will be shocked when they research further to see what really means.
Another fallacy of this book, which exists in many other novels, is the idea that there is something wrong with the man and the woman can fix him. Women want to fix things. I am a woman and I understand that. From being in a relationship I know that you cannot change a man. The transformation that Christian depicts from the beginning of the trilogy to the end is not because of Ana. She did not change him. Her annoying behaviour, which is sometimes outright stupid, demonstrates her need to change her man. This is so far from reality that any woman who tries to do this in real life will be startled at the outcome. One male friend who has heard about the novels told me he is disappointed that women will now believe that they all have the power to change a man's faults.
As a writer I struggle with this all the time. When you are writing erotica it's easy to simply have the following recipe -- dialogue -- sex -- dialogue -- sex and so on. Unfortunately when you are writing a full-length novel (or three in this case), you need to have something pushing the story. The only thing that happens in this story (and no I'm not giving away any good parts) is that Ana and Christian meet, they have sex, they fight, they have sex, they fight, they live happily ever after. The conflict is shallow and the characters do not develop. Ana is still the shy woman who goes from having no sexual experience to only one type of sexual relationship with one man. Christian is still arrogant and powerful, using his money to control his woman.
Fifty shades of Grey is a poorly written book and the media has grasped this "Mommy Porn" as being the new romance. Any book of this genre could have been the next big hit and soon we will all forget this craze, as a new literary rage will begin. This book has not taught us anything about proper BDSM, it teaches women how we can change a man, and the novels have no plot, the only thing making us continue to read is the sex scenes, which are comparable to any other erotica publishing online.