So... I have a confession to make.
Just over a month ago that now very familiar book with the cover in all shades of... err... grey... caught my eye and I guess you could say that curiosity overcame me and I found myself placing that particular novel in my basket. I didn't actually know very much about 50 Shades of Grey, all I'd read were snippets on the internet about how it had begun as a fanfiction to Twilight, and was now published as a novel on its own.
I wanted a bit of trashy afternoon reading, so once I was home I curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and started the first chapter.
By chapter 8, I realised that I had in fact purchased not what I thought was a simple love story (without the supernatural effects) but what is now commonly referred to as mummy porn. Goodbye star crossed Romeo and Juliet type lovers, hello S&M and red rooms of pain!
But I Could.Not.Put.It.Down.
Parts of the books were like pulling teeth for me. I swear, if any men give this book a crack then it's going to have to be broken gently to them that the majority of women are not like the main character, Anastasia Steele (oh yes, very Dynasty and Bold and the Beautiful) who are up for it anytime, anywhere? The guy just has to poke her with a twig and she starts panting! Oh, and multiple times at that. And if I read anymore about breath hitching, biting lips or inner goddesses, I was going to gag that goddess myself.
But you know what? The author E.L James is one clever cookie. She's suckered a hell of a lot of us in and currently one book out of every ten in Australia sold at the moment is a Fifty Shades. Unbelievable, huh? It's not Fifty Shades of Grey, but Fifty Shades of Green she's rolling in. This woman is making around a million a week, and it's probably set to become more with talks that the novels are being turned into movies.
Which got me thinking. Who would they cast as the main characters? Who do you picture as a Christian or an Anastasia? People wants you to chose from this gallery...
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Side note- Emma Stone, I ADORE you! In a non-stalkery way.
Come on... raise your hands if you bought the trilogy. I won't judge, I'm one you :P
Edit: OK, I HAVE to add this. One of my awesome readers Hannah left this link in the comments, and I laughed so hard reading it I snorted. Attractive. Go on, it won't take you long! It's everything we've all been thinking!
Edit: OK, I HAVE to add this. One of my awesome readers Hannah left this link in the comments, and I laughed so hard reading it I snorted. Attractive. Go on, it won't take you long! It's everything we've all been thinking!
Yeah, bought them all and read them all. My only excuse is that I was on holiday. Appallingly written, and the sex scenes were just ad nauseam. Oh dear gods, was it bad. But read all three in two days and the Welshman reaped the benefits. To be perfectly honest, we were on holiday, drinking lunchtime cocktails and in possession of a large and glamorous hotel room. He was always going to get lucky. Repeatedly. ;)
ReplyDeleteFifty Shades o' Green is a Twitter account, doing 50 Shades as written by an Irish Mammy. Gold! There's also a Fifty Sheds of Grey!
I haven't read it yet (my usual attempt to avoid fads) but no doubt, like Twilight, I'll secretly give in when all the ho-hum has died down and then there will be no one interested in talking about it anymore and I'll have missed the boat!
ReplyDeleteSad to say I succumbed to curiosity and have read the trilogy on my beloved Kindle this week... NO idea what all the hype is about! I found it terribly written and sooooo repetitive. Can honestly say the erotic parts had no effect on my loins as I was so bored with it, I skipped through the majority of those passages. If I never hear "lady parts" referred to as "my sex"again, I'll die a very happy woman! Like you Rhi, I found the whole, "he had me quivering with a look/word/smile" way too far fetched. Admittedly, we've all been attracted to someone whom we know doesn't have our best intentions at heart, but Christian is so damn moody! Not very progressive for a woman to put up with his cold and hot, and possessive crap. Disappointed!!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, I haven't read it yet. I tend to shy away from trends like this and then read it once the last book is written. At least, that's what I did with Twilight and HP. I think, for me, getting over the fact that 50 Shades was originally a Twilight fanfic that was banned from a site for being too erotic will always be at the back of my mind. I think that this hilarious .gifbomb post articulates my thoughts on it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.theaestate.com/2012/05/fifty-shades-of-pissed.html
Proceed to laugh and reread article 50 times. Pun of sorts intended. Is it wrong that the success of her fanfic makes me wish I could stand the phrase 'throbbing member' long enough to write my own BDSM novel and become a squillionairess? I seriously considered it. I even have my pen name sorted: Gloria Warner. If you see that name on a lurid book somewhere, you'll know it's me ;)
I'm telling myself I bought them to read when I was sick and on the couch for a few days :P I'll definitely have to check out those twitter accounts, they sound hilarious! Oh, and lucky Welshman :P
ReplyDeleteI normally try and avoid all the hype, but I was too curious about this one. I still haven't read any of the Harry Potter books or watched any of the movies!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I got so bored with the scenes too! I have to say, the bath scene in the first book grossed me out massively. I mean, really? Did she have to go there? The only thing I crave when it's that time of the month is chocolate and a heat pack :P
ReplyDeleteOh my God. Seriously Hannah I laughed so hard at that link you sent me I snorted. I'm now going to add that link to my post as I HAVE to share it. And Miss Gloria, if I ever see your book I'll snap it up right away :P
ReplyDeleteEmma Stone! I adore her too. Jinx. But really, I have no idea. Haven't read the books. I'm a super late adopter when it comes to internet phenomenons.
ReplyDeleteI imagine Mr Grey as Patrick from Offspring and it's a hell of alot better.. Let's just say I 'flush' at the thought. Haha!
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