Skimming Stones | Sula's Blog | Sula1968 A South African poet, potter and mother
I blush to confess that I rather enjoyed ’50 shades of Grey’. When I took it from the book club box I made a point of saying that I too just wanted to form an opinion. Before reading it the only reviews which I read said how boring, lame and rubbish it is. Look this is not high literature, it’s souffle light fiction with naughty bits. But fess up who read Lady Chatterley’s Lover for the literature (Don’t get me wrong I love DH Lawrence preferring ‘Sons and Lovers’) but who wasn’t just a smidgen disappointed with the sought out scenes?
When a known critic says that certain art is good those who don’t feel the same feel a bit of a tit, 50 shades has been slated by most literary critics which makes one very reluctant to disagree. The plot is relatively thin but it held my interest and made me think about the complexities of BDSM. I’ll dig myself in even deeper and say that I enjoyed reading the naughty bits. I can’t be the only one, apparently the sales of handcuffs and such paraphernalia are up. I’ve heard a few tales of women taking the book to bed and waking their husbands up in the wee hours for a bit of how’s yer father.
Us evolved folk are a bit queasy about being reminded of our baser instincts preferring the head in a jar image. I like the fact that these books have provoked a reaction, and those who are so scathing, do they perhaps protest too much? I say well done to EL James for providing quite a jolly romp.
I would be interested to know what real life practitioners of BDSM think of the book.
Hmm well the 1st book doesn’t really end, I think the publishers just wanted to get 3 books out of 1, so I’ll open ’50 Shades Darker’ later.
Been sitting on my bookshelf for months and haven’t quite got there. Strangely, the lads at work have been reading it. Either cos the wife gave it to them or a female client (I work for a tour company). Funny how it got the lads reading.
Funny that’s the first I’ve heard of men reading it, interesting
It’s a big thing here all of a sudden. At first they’re blaming it on the women in their lives. Next thing. There are facebook status and they haven’t stopped yet.
Sorry, but the feminist part of me refuses to read something that (apparently) allows a woman to believe it’s OK to be dominated by men, especially sexually.
If that sounds heavy with regard to fiction, then I’m sorry, but I do think that reading informs us, even light reading. And if I have the tenor of the book wrong, then so does the hype that surrounds it.