<p>Oh good grief. If someone wants to write about BDSM, go for it. What I objected to about this book was not the subject matter, but the terrible, awful, HORRIBLE writing. If someone told me this book had actually been written by an out of breath 14 year old, I would have no trouble believing it if not for the subject matter. The author should be embarrassed to have put out such a sophomoric effort for millions of people to read.</p>
<p>I’m sure she is humiliated every time she deposits one of those huge checks :D</p>
<p>Munchkin, it’s the same, kinda sorta. Sleeping Beauty has the same central theme of BDSM, but it stops there. That series is set in a medieval time period, and there’s WAY more non-consensual stuff going on, plenty that in real life would permanently scar or damage a person, etc. But it certainly is better written. But it’s not something I’d recommend to anyone not very familiar with the topic-those books scare ME, and I KNOW what it’s all about!</p>
<p>Snowdog, I agree about Hunger Games. They are aimed at middle school readers. My own D won’t read them because she doesn’t want to read about kids killing other kids, so I haven’t read them either. I read the article you’re talking about. The author leapfrogged over some steps that would have never let her get to that point-she’d have been better prepared and known what she could/couldn’t handle and why it wasn’t ultimately for her. I fault her “guides” for that.</p>
<p>It’s not for everyone, certainly. But again, there is a lot more to it than pain and punishment-even in Grey there’s discussion of a rule about eating right and working out. Degradation need never enter into it, nor pain, if that’s what the parties agree on. It would take a lot longer and a lot more space than I have to really explain it all. </p>
<p>But rest assured that I live a safe and happy life. Most of the time I’m doing stuff around the house, running errands, working, making sure my younger D gets to and from school on time, etc. I don’t look any different from the other Boomers With Kids. It’s just that sometimes-just sometimes, our vanilla gets a little swirled with more flavor!</p>
<p>It just struck me-on a forum with the topic of “guilty pleasures”, this particular thread has come down to, “MY guilty pleasure is better than YOURS.” Subtopic: “<em>I</em> don’t read/watch/do XYZ because it’s not intellectual enough for me, you luddite, you.”</p>
<p>I looked this up today at work. It is not available on talking book yet through the National Library Service. I cannot tell you how many requests we’ve gotten for this book (I work at the library for the blind and physically handicapped). </p>
<p>On a sort of unrelated note: some of our nun patrons are looking for this and similar books. I always get quite the chuckle when nuns or very elderly ladies want spicy romance novels. I’ve had some nearly 100 year old women say things like “give me something sexy!”. Always throws me off a bit. I wanna be that fiesty in 70+ years. ;)</p>
<p>I work at a DV shelter and I have had tons and tons of training on female empowerment, abuse, etc. Not to go too into detail, but let’s just say I know a lot about BDSM. BDSM is consensual. It’s not about control and hurt in a relationship, just in a trusting, sexual relationship. BOTH partners are in control at all times even if they do not appear to be from the outside. If not, it’s not BDSM- it’s rape. There IS a difference.</p>
<p>Teaching your daughters to be in control and not get hurt is exactly what you should be doing. But that and partaking in BDSM are not mutually exclusive. Sexual relationships of all sorts are about trusting your partner and not going over your own limits. Again, as a female, it is NOT about getting hurt and such in an abusive way.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how else to explain it but I wish that alternative sexual desires wouldn’t get such a bad rep. I think it’s wonderful that females are sexually empowered enough nowadays to be able to safely explore things like BDSM if they and their partners so choose. It’s quite liberating IMO.</p>
<p>SseamOm, I don’t think anyone has attacked another’s choice of what they do in the bedroom. What I have found issue with is the crappy writing and research that went into this book.</p>
<p>I think there are two issues being discussed here: controversy over the sex portrayed in the book and just plain bad writing. I haven’t read the whole book (but have read excerpts) but my big issue with what I have read is the writing. I’m a bit horrified that Twilight itself is as popular as it is, and the fact that fanfiction based off of Twilight and written as badly as this is got published and is a bestseller makes me sad for the book industry. I do think that Twilight has some disturbing messages about women and sexuality, but since I haven’t read 50 Shades in its entirety, I’m not going to judge that.</p>
<p>You are correct, roman. Speaking as a person who manned a DV hotline and worked with abused children, I think you explain it very well. </p>
<p>EK-it’s the writing I was talking about. There are all sorts of books out there that sophisticated readers wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole. There always have been. It’s the same with anything cultural. Some classical music lovers don’t consider rock and roll real music. Some classically trained dancers don’t think hip hop is dancing. A devotee of literature might not bother with serial romance novels. But why badmouth any of them? I’d think it would be a good thing that people are READING. We keep hearing how it’s becoming a lost art.</p>
<p>As for how accurate or not Grey is-as with any wildly popular trend, people are always going to disagree. For some, Grey isn’t all that inaccurate. It’s really that simple.</p>
<p>Pretty sure Dan Brown is Pulitzer Prize material next to this level of writing. And sseamom, I’m not at all attacking what you do in the privacy of your own home - don’t care. It’s just not where my head is, so I was curious. To each their own.</p>
<p>This thread is highly amusing. The trilogy is a fun, light, summer read for adults who have a sense of humor and are open to some erotic reading. </p>
<p>Yes, the writing is bad. However, the plot and character development gets better with each book and I found myself wanting to know how the characters relationships turned out. By the middle of the second book I found myself quickly skimming over the sex scenes because they became tedious. Seriously, who has sex three to four times a day? It was exhausting just reading about it! All in all I would recommend the books for a change of pace from more serious, intellectual novels. </p>
<p>Every woman I know is talking about the books, from my fitness classes, to my salon, to my neighborhood Friday happy hour get togethers (I live in a fun neighborhood). And, every man I know is hoping that his wife reads them. Id feel completely out of the loop if I hadnt read them. </p>
<p>Life is too short to be so rigid and analytical about something as benign as a fun summer read.</p>
<p>^^^^^^I found myself skimming through the sex scenes as well because they got so redundant. When one does that, however, all that remains is the juvenile writing style, repetitive phrases (“Holy Crap!” “My inner goddess…” and “Christian gasped” ad nauseum), and hokey plot devices. None of that is my idea of “fun”, but clearly many others disagree.</p>
<p>I’m not offended by the BDSM angle, but there are just too many other good books in the world waiting to be read and enjoyed to waste one more second on this dumb series. Good for the author, though. She’s raking in a fortune.</p>
<p>I’m really in the mood for one of those wonderful books which compel you to neglect your household duties, stay up way too late, and get a lump in your throat at the realization that the book is about to end. Guess I should wander over to the “Best book I’ve read in the last six months” thread. :)</p>
<p>lovemykids2- That’s pretty much my take. Didn’t take long to read, the books were light and entertaining and I found myself wanting to know how it was all going to end. I could skim the repetitive parts easily.</p>
<p>I have not read the books – I feel like I should, just to know what the fuss is about – but I was driving last night and one of the NPR talk shows was about this book. I didn’t hear the whole thing, and this might have been already mentioned on this thread (haven’t read all of the thread either), but I did learn that the book started out as a fan-fiction response to the Twilight books. And not having read those, I guess I don’t have anything else to contribute!</p>
<p>I wasn’t even looking for this book because I heard it was badly written but when I was at the library, there it was - on the cart of 7-day books. I was surprised it was there, seeing as our library currently has 138 holds for it. But I checked it out, just to see what the hype was all about. (BTW, the librarian totally looked at me funny! haha) I am more than halfway done right now.</p>
<p>The writing is pretty bad. The characters are 2D, the inner thoughts are so annoying and everything about it is meh. It reminds me so much of Twilight. The guy is creepy but hey, I guess that’s (being the submissive / having a dominator) what some people like. I mean, I know it’s not expected to be Faulkner or whatever but it’s not even Evanovich. It’s barely on Meyer’s level and she’s not the best writer around. (I know I sound pretentious but I don’t care. ) I mean, how many times can a girl “turn crimson, flush, or blush?” Or frown? And an inner goddess? Just stop. I mean, at times I couldn’t believe what I was reading - it was that bad. But other times, I found myself smiling or being mildly entertained. </p>
<p>Actually, one of the only good things is the e-mails between the two. And Christian Grey does sound very handsome. I’ve never read a book like this (erotica) in my life and I don’t think I will again. I can see the appeal of it but I’m sure there are better romance/erotica/BDSM books out there. I will finish it however, just so I can say I read it and give my full opinion on it. I hate not finishing books.</p>
All in all I would recommend the books for a change of pace from more serious, intellectual novels. </p>
) I mean, how many times can a girl “turn crimson, flush, or blush?” Or frown? And an inner goddess? Just stop. I mean, at times I couldn’t believe what I was reading - it was that bad. But other times, I found myself smiling or being mildly entertained. </p>
I’ve never read a book like this (erotica) in my life and I don’t think I will again. I can see the appeal of it but I’m sure there are better romance/erotica/BDSM books out there. I will finish it however, just so I can say I read it and give my full opinion on it. I hate not finishing books.</p>