Fifty Shades of Grey

[3113]

On the bright side!
GreyGraygreygray should open doors for good work.
and that is cool!

I wouldn't bet on that.

Consider that Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" a truly excellent book with great writing breed copycats like "The Sword of Shannara," a pretty bad book. So, if a good popular book breeds bad copies, can you image the copies a bad popular book will breed?

 

[lovecraft68]

This may all be true about Shades, but I can't dismiss it outright because I haven't read it. I'm using what I've heard and read about it to make my decisions at the moment, but eventually I suppose I'll read it so I can see it for myself and make any decisions for myself.

Still, at the moment, I'm not interested.

It blows my mind that with it's limited plot it is a trilogy and not short. The wife said book one is 500+ pages.

On a different note, this thing blew up when I was halfway through my bdsm project and after listening to all this mommy porn crap I decided to add a little more romance to the book than I had planned. It was already written, but I had originally decided against it. So after this I figured well, it can't hurt.

 

[THROBBS]

I wouldn't bet on that.

Consider that Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" a truly excellent book with great writing breed copycats like "The Sword of Shannara," a pretty bad book. So, if a good popular book breeds bad copies, can you image the copies a bad popular book will breed?

I'll bet on it.

I will also bet that you are 100% correct. There will be both.

BUT...this is a Fabulous (say that with pink flair! ) opportunity for thos eof you who can actually write.

Rise to the top motherfuckers!

 

[sr71plt]

Not planning to read Shades of Grey anytime soon--so I'll have no need to obsess over it or that/why it's a best-seller.

 

[THROBBS]

If I can borrow a copy, I'll give it a go. If I can get through it...and like it enough, I'll do another.

Heck, I read all the Twilight series and enjoyed them for what they were... mind candy. (not high-end candy mind you< see what I did there?)

I read all the Hunger Games series... which, in my opinion, deteriorated from the first. BUT I still enjoyed them.

In a more similar genre (to 5o shades) I read "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty" and "Beauty's Punishment"... which at times I enjoyed, but got a bit too "dark" for my tastes. I am only BDSM-lite I am not big on the sex&violence world. There is way too much violence in real life and not enough sex.

Too often, I think that directors/authors throw in violence to erotic works (movies and written work) to give some "balance" or gritty "legitimacy"... and maybe some feel that makes their work "deep". Or maybe they just like it that way.

But if it is not a "serious piece", then just give me the sex (with some story and even some drama).

For an example: Caligula (the movie) missed the mark for me... I suppose it COULD have worked as a serious film, the violence illustrated just how twisted the emperor was, as did much of the sex (often both at once). In the end it just seemed all gratuitous.... no it was, in the end, a high end porn flick with too much squick factor.

 

[PennLady]

It blows my mind that with it's limited plot it is a trilogy and not short. The wife said book one is 500+ pages.

But again, you haven't read the book yourself, so you don't really know what's there. There could be other elements -- just saying could -- that the author is exploring. Also, only having seen the book cover (one of my son's friend's mom is reading it), I'm seriously wondering about font, font size, margins, etc. Those things can easily bulk up a book.

Now, I'm not trying to say the book is good, but I'm also getting all my info about it second- and -third hand. Such as, a friend reports that her friend was reading it and laughing about how poorly-written it is. I don't think she means technically, I think she means structure wise, setting up the plot and all of that. All of it gives me the feeling that this is a BDSM book written by someone who thinks they know something about BDSM. But probably doesn't.

On a different note, this thing blew up when I was halfway through my bdsm project and after listening to all this mommy porn crap I decided to add a little more romance to the book than I had planned. It was already written, but I had originally decided against it. So after this I figured well, it can't hurt.

Just going with the flow, eh?

 

[THROBBS]

Sometimes, I feel that folk who participate in "the lifestyle" take it a bit too seriously.

There are, of course, serious aspects> safe words, trust etc...

But there is room for those who enjoy BDSM-lite, the trappings, some fantasy.
Spankings that sting but don't raise welts? I actually "get" the appeal of more "intense" activities, it just ain't my bag.

I am not sure if those you go so far as to type D and s (caps and lower case) are more serious or more silly. That sort of thing strikes me as being superfluous.

Of course I don't have a Red Room of Pain or a dungeon or a snuggery.
I'd like a sex room though! heck..I'd like sex.

Any experts want to weigh in?

 

[Rubytuesdayx]

To be honest I was expecting exactly the same as you guys, just overrated rubbish but it was a pretty good book to be fair. I read the whole trilogy in a matter of a week and it was kind of hot, think its definitely one for split opinions. I enjoyed reading it, it made me kind of horny, but don't know if I would read it again!

Ruby x

 

[RjThoughts]

I had intended to read it, but have heard so many different opinions on it, I'm not sure now. I've heard it's good. I've heard it's bad. I've heard it's just Twilight fan fiction. I've been told that if you beyond average knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle, it will bore you.

 

[sr71plt]

I had intended to read it, but have heard so many different opinions on it, I'm not sure now. I've heard it's good. I've heard it's bad. I've heard it's just Twilight fan fiction. I've been told that if you beyond average knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle, it will bore you.

If you're at all curious about a book like this, I say go ahead and read it--or at least give it a start--so you can decide for yourself. At some point I'm sure I'll read at least one of the Dragon Tattoo books for this reason. But I have no curiosity about either Shades--or, before it, Twilight.

 

[RjThoughts]

If you're at all curious about a book like this, I say go ahead and read it--or at least give it a start--so you can decide for yourself. At some point I'm sure I'll read at least one of the Dragon Tattoo books for this reason. But I have no curiosity about either Shades--or, before it, Twilight.

I read a chapter of Twilight and thought it was nothing more than a poor attempt a vampire romance.

I read "The Story of O" as a teenager, thanks to an open-minded bookseller. "Fifty Shades" does have me a little curious, as to how to compares. I might just download a chapter for my "Nookie Thingie" and see how it is.

 

[BonBon1976]

I read it and followed it up with the other two books. I read it just to see what it was about and I enjoyed the story - as to it's accuracy i really can't vouch for the bdsm details, but the author writes a good read - I enjoyed the playful banter and the humour and got a few ideas for things I'd like to try A fiction novel is for our entertainment - if it was supposed to be fact, it would be non fiction

I read like some people watch tv - so I may go through a bit more books then some.

 

[sr71plt]

I read "The Story of O" as a teenager, thanks to an open-minded bookseller.

Probably along with most of the rest of us--and probably only selections from it, as I did.

 

[PennLady]

If you're at all curious about a book like this, I say go ahead and read it--or at least give it a start--so you can decide for yourself. At some point I'm sure I'll read at least one of the Dragon Tattoo books for this reason. But I have no curiosity about either Shades--or, before it, Twilight.

I think that's the final piece of advice. If you want to read it, for whatever reason, do it. The worst thing that could happen is that you'll have wasted some time, and you'll probably figure that out before you read the whole thing. I'm with SR --at some point I'll read one of Larsson's books, if not all three of that trilogy, and might even read Twilight.

Probably along with most of the rest of us--and probably only selections from it, as I did.

I was probably in my early 20s when I got a copy of "O" and I'm honestly not sure I knew enough about people, about sex, about other things, to really understand it, although I did read the whole thing. I suppose I should try it again, but if I do, it will no doubt be colored by the fact that I do not like the dom/sub type stuff that is featured.

 

[sr71plt]

I was probably in my early 20s when I got a copy of "O" and I'm honestly not sure I knew enough about people, about sex, about other things, to really understand it, although I did read the whole thing. I suppose I should try it again, but if I do, it will no doubt be colored by the fact that I do not like the dom/sub type stuff that is featured.

And it likely no longer has the power to titillate, considering what's been published since. I can hardly believe that I scanned through a copy of Catcher in the Rye on the sly in a drugstore.

 

[RjThoughts]

Probably along with most of the rest of us--and probably only selections from it, as I did.

I was one of those unusual teens: I was a bookworm AND athlete. When I began a book, I would either finish it, if I liked it, or stopped, if I thought it was trash.

 

[RjThoughts]

I think that's the final piece of advice. If you want to read it, for whatever reason, do it. The worst thing that could happen is that you'll have wasted some time, and you'll probably figure that out before you read the whole thing. I'm with SR --at some point I'll read one of Larsson's books, if not all three of that trilogy, and might even read Twilight.



I was probably in my early 20s when I got a copy of "O" and I'm honestly not sure I knew enough about people, about sex, about other things, to really understand it, although I did read the whole thing. I suppose I should try it again, but if I do, it will no doubt be colored by the fact that I do not like the dom/sub type stuff that is featured.

"O" is on the Barnes and Noble website..a $2.99 download. I might get it again, once I finish the Clive Cussler book I'm currently.

 

[PennLady]

And it likely no longer has the power to titillate, considering what's been published since. I can hardly believe that I scanned through a copy of Catcher in the Rye on the sly in a drugstore.

That's possible, and it'd be interesting to find out. I'm not even sure I was aroused or anything by it when I read it the first time. I was more curious about the book than looking to get off or anything like that. Or perhaps even then I realized I wouldn't like such a dynamic, even if I hadn't known or thought about it before.

"Catcher" is another one I should re-read. I know I read it but I don't think I retained much beyond what I needed for school at the time.

I was one of those unusual teens: I was a bookworm AND athlete. When I began a book, I would either finish it, if I liked it, or stopped, if I thought it was trash.

I have rarely not finished a book. Usually I push myself to finish b/c I don't like to leave a book half-finished. And in most of those cases, I will later go back and finish; sometimes I find I'm just not in the right mood for a certain book, but I will be later. That happened to me with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series.

The books I remember not finishing are "The Hunt for Red October" (I tried three times!); "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," which was on my dad's Kindle and which I was only reading to see what reading on there was like; and, most recently, 50 Shades, but then I only got the sample and wasn't really intending on getting the full book. There are a few others that I had to return to the library, that sort of thing, but those are the ones that stand out.

 

[RjThoughts]

That's possible, and it'd be interesting to find out. I'm not even sure I was aroused or anything by it when I read it the first time. I was more curious about the book than looking to get off or anything like that. Or perhaps even then I realized I wouldn't like such a dynamic, even if I hadn't known or thought about it before.

"Catcher" is another one I should re-read. I know I read it but I don't think I retained much beyond what I needed for school at the time.



I have rarely not finished a book. Usually I push myself to finish b/c I don't like to leave a book half-finished. And in most of those cases, I will later go back and finish; sometimes I find I'm just not in the right mood for a certain book, but I will be later. That happened to me with Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series.

The books I remember not finishing are "The Hunt for Red October" (I tried three times!); "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," which was on my dad's Kindle and which I was only reading to see what reading on there was like; and, most recently, 50 Shades, but then I only got the sample and wasn't really intending on getting the full book. There are a few others that I had to return to the library, that sort of thing, but those are the ones that stand out.

The oly book I've yet to finish is "The Historian." For some reason, I never get focused for it.

 

[estragon]

"The Story of O", which I did read when it first was published, and "Lolita", which I started reading when it first was published but abandoned in disgust, were real signs of the times, the pioneers. Now they're museum pieces. And which of these other books, I wonder, will be remembered fifty years hence?

 

[3113]

"The Story of O", which I did read when it first was published, and "Lolita", which I started reading when it first was published but abandoned in disgust, were real signs of the times, the pioneers. Now they're museum pieces. And which of these other books, I wonder, will be remembered fifty years hence?

I can understand calling "Story of O" a museum piece, but "Lolita?" If you didn't like it, that's all well and good, but the two are not in the same league, not in writing, not in what they're about, and certainly not in regards to how they're meant to be taken, seen, etc. They just don't rate comparison.

And "Lolita" is no museum piece. It still is a respected work of literature, as current now as it was when it first came out, and with some of the most brilliant lines in modern literature. And as it was first published in 1955 and is still being read now, I'd say that it's surpassed those fifty years and is heading into those fifty years hence you were talking about.

 

[mynameisben]

BFD. My old cell phone display had 256 shades of gray, and that was ten years ago.

 

[MagicaPractica]

All the discussion about it, and being banned from a Florida public library made me curious, but the fact that it's a fanfic kind of turns me off. If it's in one day, I'll pick it up and take a look, but I probably won't even bother to put a hold on it.

 

[Stella_Omega]

The Story of 'O' will titillate if you have the kinks that the story caters to. If you don't-- no titillate for you, not from that book-- you'll have to find something else to wank to.

Ditto Fifty Shades.

It's possible that the reader will find titillation in the two or three graphic passages of Lolita-- but their function is to impress the reader with just how slimy and self-deceiving the narrator is. And they do a good job of it, too, in my opinion-- even makes the reader wonder if they are equally slimy and self-deceiving.

 

[BONNIEBREA]

Like PennLady, I don't have much interest in reading it.

From the little I've seen and heard it sounds like very 'safe', formula erotica.

Katie Roiphe in her Newsweek/Daily Beast review noted that the writing was not very good either. She specifically picked out "In spite of my poignant sadness, I laughed." and "My world is crumbling around me into a sterile pile of ashes, all my hopes and dreams cruelly dashed."

But they'd make great entries for the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.