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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Fifty Shades of Eh.

Fifty Shades of Eh.


Fifty Shades of Grey - well this is my first blogged book review ever and oh boy, it is a controversial one. Friends of my 67-year-old mother are either begging her to read this or saying "It's pure trash and is just wrong." When these opinionated women are asked why they believe the book is "trash," it is usually followed shortly after with a question, "Did you read it?" and answered with "Er, well, umm, no but I heard it's bad and that it should be banned from libraries."

Well, whatever your opinion is on the subject matter, the book itself is interesting. That is - the sex is interesting. The writing? Not so much. As most of us know, James had written the initial draft as fan fiction after reading the Twilight series. Apparently, Edward was just harbouring some fantasies of tying Bella up and whipping her, not just breaking a bed while biting a pillow, in the missionary position on their honeymoon. James tries and you can't fault her for something she probably never expected would be an actual published book. There are a lot of the same words used over and over and exclamations of shock by things that Edward  Christian Grey tells her he wants to do to her. As for the sex, it's not real shocking if you have ever looked at internet porn and let's face it, a lot of us have. However, if you are like the readers (or opinion givers who haven't read the book), and are thinking back to the classier, more innocent times of the 1950s, let me remind you of The Story of 0, by Pauline Reage,  written in 1954.  Henry Miller and D.H. Lawrence with Tropic of Cancer and Lady Chatterley's Lover respectively weren't pure and innocent by any means. The fact is that Grey is not the first to tackle the topic of "taboo" sex and it won't be the last...I just wish the writing was better. Eh.

Now I would love to see this book featured on Reading Rainbow.

Book Rating: Eh. - I could take it or leave it but lean more towards leave it.