Fifty Shades of Grey
discussion
dont like it ..dont read it
Jane wrote: "i totally agree with the title of this discussion. many people that i know doesn't like this book, because of its content and i tried to rationalize with them by saying "why don't you try to read B..."...you do not have to study Psychology to know that there is something seriously wrong with him.
Karen wrote: "Jenna wrote: "see someone else saying he shouldnt play CG cuz he's gay...ppl are so stupid but yea i think he's perfect"Totally ridiculous!! I'd do him, gay or not!!! LOL (if my husband didn't..."
pfft im right there with ya id tell my bf hes shit out of luck but he could watch, i already told him if i ever met Ian Somerhalder i was single for that night haha he didnt find it funny
Apparently, a lot of people have a problem with him playing part. The Huffpost did an article titled, Fifty Shades of Homophobia.... First line: "I thought we were past this, America." The fact that this is even an issue is so utterly ridiculous.
Karen- I thought Henry Cavill would be perfect, too! Love him! Although, Matt Bomer certainly has that wealthy and powerful, business tycoon look... Kind of how I pictured Christian in the first place.
i might not have paid attention but it seems here lately there is more crap in the news about gay rights and relgion them hating on each other is it getting worse then it was or is it just me thinkin it is i didnt remember it being this bad in a long time.
i mean i know its always been an issue but has it been this bad usually ppl hate in private it seems its becoming more public now and on the tv alot worse
Jenna wrote: "pfft im right there with ya id tell my bf hes shit out of luck but he could watch, i already told him if i ever met Ian Somerhalder i was single for that night haha he didnt find it funny"LMAO!!!! I'd definitely let him watch!!! Even participate!!
Karen wrote: "Jenna wrote: "pfft im right there with ya id tell my bf hes shit out of luck but he could watch, i already told him if i ever met Ian Somerhalder i was single for that night haha he didnt find it f..."lmao heck yea more the merrier haha
Karen wrote: "Kris wrote: "I read Bared to You, and I really didn't like it at all."I agree with you Kris, I didn't care as much for Bared to You. I thought it was intriguing, but the plot line with just a li..."
Read it as well. The characters were all too dysfunctional - to the point of it being a bit over the top. The roommate was sexually abused, Eva was sexually abused by her brother, and of course, Gideon was.
It's a pattern that I've noticed in a lot of contemporary novels...the insanely dysfunctional family. After a while it gets old. Here, Day, seems to rely too much on the dysfunctional past of her characters as character development.
Also the story was basically the same trope as 50 Shades (which is - young wealthy/isolated mega mogul with major issues falls for a innocent younger gal or experienced younger gal with a great heart). Just lacked the sense of humor.
What worked for me in 50 Shades - the first two books, didn't like the third one, was the sense of humor. James appeared to be making fun of herself.
Day takes herself too seriously.
Jenna,I just tend to ignore ignorant people. I hate the haters. I'm not even a democrat. But I'm all for good clean FREEDOM. People in general can be so hateful and unkind. I find the media only makes it worse.... they tend to pour the fuel on the fire, and provide the forums for all of the banter. I've gotten so put off by politics in general, news programs and talk shows. They can keep the garbage.
Just give me a good book, so I can tune out all of the ugly noise!!!
Jenna wrote: "Karen wrote: "How did we get stuck on the issue of homosexuality? I suspect Matt Bomer must have come up. Well, I just have to say that gay or straight, he is just hawt!!!! And would play an ama..."According to the NY Metro newspaper...Bret Easten Ellis recently made a really dumb statement publicly that homosexuals/gay can't play heterosexuals.
Which inspired Neil Patrick Harris who plays the blatantly heteorsexual Barney on How I Met Your Mother (and happens to be openly gay in real life) to
tweet back :
Bret Easton Ellis thinks gay actors can't play straight roles. Totally unrelated, I thought Christian Bale was amazing in "Welsh Psycho".
Great tweet. Bale, who is blatantly Welsh, played the lead character in the film version of Bret Easton Elli's book American Psycho. With Ellis' blessing.
thats what the link was that i posted he tweeted openly about that and yes neil patrick harris was my arguement to why matt could play the role and how stupid Ellis was for saying that
Lorie wrote: "Jane wrote: "i totally agree with the title of this discussion. many people that i know doesn't like this book, because of its content and i tried to rationalize with them by saying "why don't you ..."and i agree with this i didnt take a course in psychology and even i knew he was all sorts of fucked up lmao
Jenna wrote: "Lorie wrote: "Jane wrote: "i totally agree with the title of this discussion. many people that i know doesn't like this book, because of its content and i tried to rationalize with them by saying "..."lol, yeah. It's kinda common sense. Christian's attitude and the fact that he gets pleasure from hurting women totally doesn't give it away or anything =P
Mary wrote: "Kris wrote: "Ellie- absolutely! Even we, as readers, evolve with more experience. We learn how to recognize truly talented, as well as different styles of writing...and we find what truly suits o..."
It's less about experience sometimes and just mood. Or what you are doing at the time. Or what you just read - if for example you read a lot of heavy, dark, books...you might want something lighter, witty.
I don't think you can determine what people have read or their experience based solely on whether they loved or hated a particular book. Actually you can't tell much of anything - I've discovered.
I remember reading an account of a male solider who returned from Iraq, who was deeply moved by the romance in 50 Shades, felt moved by Ana's story, and
it changed his perspective on things completely.
Blew my mind.
Lorie wrote: "Jenna wrote: "Lorie wrote: "Jane wrote: "i totally agree with the title of this discussion. many people that i know doesn't like this book, because of its content and i tried to rationalize with th..."agrees
Christine wrote: "Mary wrote: "Kris wrote: "Ellie- absolutely! Even we, as readers, evolve with more experience. We learn how to recognize truly talented, as well as different styles of writing...and we find what ..."
I agree to a certain extent. After I read A Storm of Swords I wanted to read something light so I read a ton of like 200 pg, easy to read books. However, even when reading light books, I still want my mind to be somewhat challenged and when reading 50 shades, I was just getting frustrated because I kept seeing grammatical errors and wondering why this book was a NY Times best seller...
Grammatical errors are frustrating, but shouldn't be the sole determinant of whether a book is good or not.
Karen wrote: "Grammatical errors are frustrating, but shouldn't be the sole determinant of whether a book is good or not."I think the story should be the thing that holds the reader. I have a collection of old books that go back to the 1800s. The style of writing in those days was very different. Authors were paid by the word. I found some stories to drag on and on. Now authors use Chicago Style of writing. It has to be tight and to the point. You have to use active syntax rather than passive...show rather than tell. Writing has evolved over the years.
Jenna wrote: "i might not have paid attention but it seems here lately there is more crap in the news about gay rights and relgion them hating on each other is it getting worse then it was or is it just me think..."It's all politically driven. Most people don't agree with the negativity that goes on. I believe most Americans are fair minded individuals.
Christine wrote: "Mary wrote: "Kris wrote: "Ellie- absolutely! Even we, as readers, evolve with more experience. We learn how to recognize truly talented, as well as different styles of writing...and we find what ..."
I agree, the books you choose depend heavily on your mood, but I meant that by gaining reading experience, we come to know better which book will suit our current mood. I don't know about you, but before I became an avid reader, I wasn't too sure how different stories/genres affected me and, therefore, I sort of chose blindly. I absolutely believe gaining reading experience allows for better enjoyment.
Karen wrote: "Jenna,I just tend to ignore ignorant people. I hate the haters. I'm not even a democrat. But I'm all for good clean FREEDOM. People in general can be so hateful and unkind. I find the media o..."
You took the words right out of my mouth. I feel the same way. I'd rather read Fifty shades for the 3rd time than listen to all the pundits expound on their opinions.
Jenna wrote: "its not official yet but Matt bomer is in the lead from everything ive been reading"Oh, I sure hope so. When I think of Mr. Grey,(which is getting to be more often than I should), I see Matt Bomer in my mind. Is anyone else out there in love with this person that doesn't exist as I am? I think my husband is becoming jealous! LOL
Ellie wrote: "Karen wrote: "Grammatical errors are frustrating, but shouldn't be the sole determinant of whether a book is good or not."I think the story should be the thing that holds the reader. I have a col..."
The story didn't hold me either. The sex scenes in the book weren't even that juicy. I think the part that made me want to throw the book out the window was the tampon scene. The fact that it was originally a fan fiction just turned me off from the beginning, it wasn't even original. =(
Karen wrote: "Kris wrote: "Wait, they've decided on who will play Christian?! So exciting!! He is totally hot, dammit lol"Yep... there he is!!! Swoooonn!!"
Where did you here this? Is it Matt??
Jenna wrote: "oh yea look at that chisled jaw line and little stubble and those eyes yes and he looks good in a suite AND he has some nice hair haha"Oh, be still my heart. Matt is what we've been waiting for. He is sooo hot!!
Lorie- I thought the sex scenes were pretty hot; but even more than that, they were descriptively vivid. Granted, it was my first erotic-type read so I didn't have anything to compare it to. But still think it was pretty amazing. I totally agree with u on the "tampon" scene! Gross and definitely not needed!! Ellie- My sister is crazyily in-love with Christian too! She's been on a few dates recently since she's read the book and comes home saying, "eh, he's no Christian"...
Kris wrote: "Lorie- I thought the sex scenes were pretty hot; but even more than that, they were descriptively vivid. Granted, it was my first erotic-type read so I didn't have anything to compare it to. But st..."I guess I thought they were okay at the beginning but then it just got repetitive and that started to make it boring. I've read other erotica type stuff (although it's not really my cup of tea) that I thought was actually better! I dunno. I also didn't like the relationship between Ana and Christian. I felt like she was being taken advantage of.
Lorie wrote: " I also didn't like the relationship between Ana and Christian. I felt like she was being taken advantage of. "
You must not have read the whole book, or the 2nd or 3rd. Ana ended up with ALL the power. I know these books aren't everyone's cup of tea, I see that. But I have found that a lot of those who are criticizing the story, haven't read it through.
I agree that there were too many sex scenes, but I never once felt bored by them. I thought they were pretty steamy, but then again, maybe I've lived too boring a life.
Ellie wrote: "Where did you here this? Is it Matt?? "Scroll up the page... did you see his pic on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. That's the only information I have. It seems as though they've chosen Matt, but I've been told it's not official. Check out his pic... he looks really good. I hope he gets it.
The cover says "The wait is over"... It sounds official but I can't find any info on it over the internet at all. Nothing definite, anyway.
Karen wrote: "Lorie wrote: " I also didn't like the relationship between Ana and Christian. I felt like she was being taken advantage of. "
You must not have read the whole book, or the 2nd or 3rd. Ana ended ..."
I did read the entire book, however, I didn't read the second and third. I don't see how she ended up with all the power when she did everything she didn't want to do to begin with. To me, it just seemed like she was being controlled when she didn't even want that. Ana wants to be with the non-messed up Christian so she admits that she's gonna put up with it even though she wants a normal relationship. Once again, I have not read the second and third book but it's pretty obvious what happens imo.
Kris wrote: "The cover says "The wait is over"... It sounds official but I can't find any info on it over the internet at all. Nothing definite, anyway."Yeah, they say it was a hoax. I'm so disappointed. (sigh)!
I hope you're wrong... he would be perfect.
Lorie wrote: "Kris wrote: "Lorie- I thought the sex scenes were pretty hot; but even more than that, they were descriptively vivid. Granted, it was my first erotic-type read so I didn't have anything to compare ..."i also thought they were repetitive by book 2 anyways. yea at first they were hot and steamy then i started to cringe when a sex scene happend pretty much every other page...and i understand in a new relationship ya screw like rabbits but in a book she didnt have to go into detail for every sex scenes i caught myself getting happy when she would skip over a sex scene and leave it to ur imagination. and i also understand its an erotica but the story line was what i was more interested in and i was bummed when there wasnt much of it there
Karen wrote: "I hope you're wrong... he would be perfect."i agree i think he would be too
Lorie wrote: : "Lorie wrote: " I also didn't like the relationship between Ana and Christian. I felt like she was being taken advantage of."Well, from the beginning of their relationship, Christian starts breaking his own rules for Ana. First and foremost, he foregoes the contract. Then, after the breakup at the end, she leaves him behind, and doesn't look back.
Now you would have to read the 2nd and 3rd book to know that, yes they get back together, but on HER terms this time. He is so afraid of losing her, that he changes almost everything that he is about for her. She ends up getting what she wants in the end... but so does he.
I don't want to put up too many spoilers, but it is clear that there is growth for both characters, and for the better. It is actually a very intriguing story.
Lorie wrote: "I did read the entire book, however, I didn't read the second and third. I don't see how she ended up with all the power when she did everything she didn't want to do to begin with. To me, it just seemed like she was being controlled when she didn't even want that. Ana wants to be with the non-messed up Christian so she admits that she's gonna put up with it even though she wants a normal relationship. Once again, I have not read the second and third book but it's pretty obvious what happens imo."
At the end of the Fellowship of the Ring, the Fellowship is broken, Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by the Orcs and Gandalf is dead. IF you only read the first book in a trilogy, how could you possibly think you know what happens? You cannot make definitive comments about a story you HAVE NOT READ! People who HAVE read the last two books certainly have a better grasp of what happens than you do.
Jenna- that is exactly how I felt, word for word. I loved it in book one bc it was crazy, exciting, unique and of course, new. But when it starts to get repetitive, something has to drastically change or a few scenes could be skipped. I got a little excited over a few glossed over scenes as well lol. I was so into the story and I wanted more action where that was concerned. Another sex scene thrown in after that, sure. But I know a lot of women didn't mind and I can see their point as well. EL is definitely great at writing erotic scenes.
Mary wrote: "Lorie wrote: "I did read the entire book, however, I didn't read the second and third. I don't see how she ended up with all the power when she did everything she didn't want to do to begin with. T..."What a terrible comparison. The LOTR was not a FAN FICTION like 50 shades. I read all four of the Twilight novels so I'm going to assume (and friends have already told me I was right) that Ana changes Christian and they end up happily ever after with children. Please someone tell me I'm wrong, if I'm not then I rest my case. Very very predictable piece of literature and it doesn't help that it's a fan fiction.
Lorie wrote: "Mary wrote: "Lorie wrote: "I did read the entire book, however, I didn't read the second and third. I don't see how she ended up with all the power when she did everything she didn't want to do to ..."I think you were missing her comparison. LOTR has absolutely nothing to do with this topic, Mary was just using it as an example.
And yes you are right about the HEA ending, but that does not take away from the process which took them their. It was a story of growth and love, and if you find that mundane... then, that is your opinion. But it would be better for you to judge after you've read them all.
Lorie wrote: "What a terrible comparison. The LOTR was not a FAN FICTION like 50 shades. I read all four of the Twilight novels so I'm going to assume (and friends have already told me I was right) that Ana changes Christian and they end up happily ever after with children. Please someone tell me I'm wrong, if I'm not then I rest my case. Very very predictable piece of literature and it doesn't help that it's a fan fiction.."
Um...NO, it is not a terrible comparison. Why would it matter whether it was fan fiction or not? You are correct that Christian changes, but it is not really Ana that changes him. HE changes himself through self-realization. His therapist works with him; Ana tries to understand him, but it is only when he is faced with the prospect of becoming a father does he finally realize that the life Mrs. Robinson introduced him to was built on child molestation. It was self-discovery that saved Christian, not a female knight in Shining Armor.
Felicia wrote: "While I agree that commenting on a trilogy is difficult if you haven't actually read the trilogy, I think Lorie makes a good point in that the entire reltionship revolves around Ana bending over backwards to please Christian. She is moody, constantly crying, not herself, retreats from her friends and family, all classic signs of an abusive relationship. At the end of the day, she is the typical "innocent virgin", and Christian takes avantage of Ana just as Elena took advantage of him. "I certainly do not see it this way at all. She was a loner to begin with and did not give up her friendships, and what 21 year old does not get emotional about relationships? She continued to go to work even though Christian does not want her to. She stands up to her boss who is more creepy than Christian. My youngest daughter is very quiet and shy. On a superficial level, she would seem passive, but she has a quiet and indomitable strength. At her core there is a spine of steel. My husband calls her personality "water on a rock." She is very polite as she wears you down. Ana had that quiet strength IMO. Ana never signed the contract. She only consented ONCE to truly physical sex and that nearly ended the relationship. She kept on and on about Mrs. Robinson and did not let that issue go. She also grew during the relationship. One would expect this especially in a character as young as Ana. She came out stronger in the end for having passed through the fires.
How was she a loner? She said that she told her best friend everything and that she felt upset that she couldn't tell her about what was going on between her and Christian. On top of that, Christian told her to not talk to certain people, forcing her to eat and dictating how much she should eat, and then stalks her around. I have a daughter too and I WOULD NOT want my daughter in a situation like this. I think young women who want men like this is absolutely sickening.
Lorie wrote: "How was she a loner? She said that she told her best friend everything and that she felt upset that she couldn't tell her about what was going on between her and Christian. On top of that, Christia..."She had a very small circle of friends, so she did have loner tendencies. Christian may have told her not to talk to certain people or to eat certain foods, but guess what??? She did not OBEY him in this. I would not want either of my daughters involved with someone like Christian either. His baggage was too much. From the way I read Christian's character, if Ana had unequivocally broken up with him, I believe he would have let her go. For one, his ego would have demanded it. I also think the brief contact he had with Ana would have changed him to a certain degree regardless of whether they stayed together or not. She made him question a life he had never questioned before. I do not think a single person who has read all of the books would name the Christian characterized at the beginning of the relationship as a boyfriend worth keeping. So those readers who like Christian like the evolved version, not the caveman.
Lorie wrote: "Christine wrote: "Mary wrote: "Kris wrote: "Ellie- absolutely! Even we, as readers, evolve with more experience. We learn how to recognize truly talented, as well as different styles of writing....."
Yeah well, I've read a lot of books on the best-seller list that have more. Kim Harrison's latest novel is filled with them.
I'm a frustrated writer with more than one unpublished book - all of which are, or so I've been told, far better written than 50 Shades or Twilight or Dan Brown's latest. And I write all day long, working hard to be clear and concise. So I can see a grammatical error a mile away. When 50 Shades first came out - it annoyed me, in much the same way Twilight did.
But in November...I'd gotten bogged down in George RR Martin's Feast of Crows, and prior to that? I'd read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Watched The Wire and Fringe. And read various other violent mystery and suspense novels that I can't remember at the moment.
This of course does not include all the technical engineering proposals at work.
I wanted sex, fluff, and something that would comfort me, distract me, and I could forget. No concentration required. So I began reading romance novels. Trust me when I state that there are a lot of poorly written romance novels on Amazon.com's Kindle service. Anything for below $2 is filled with grammatical errors and typos. Actually a few of the better books are too - due in part to the translation to the electronic medium. So, after about 20 of these, you get used to correcting the grammar.
50 Shades wasn't that bad. At least EL James sentences made sense. There were several books, A Marriage Proposal, Dom of my Dreams, Bottoms Up, and a few others - where I had to re-read sentences that made no sense. Kim Harrison's last two books on the Kindle had the same problem.
[Apologies for the errors in my posts on this thread, but I'm posting off the cuff and not really editing that much.]
Just because women enjoyed the book does not mean they want to find someone like Christian in the real world. It's a work of fiction and he is a fictional character. I think it's always admirable to see a character reach redemption; rise above their issues. We typically like to root for the underdog and that's what he was, even with all of his success.The story was ironic and I think it emphasized Ana weakness to make it more amazing when she ends up being the one to save the strong and powerful Christian. He came at her with rules that she did not follow and a contract she did not sign. Yes, he followed her around because he felt she was in danger, but I don't think she was taken advantage of...I think SHE ended up laying out the rules, in a way.
I'm not saying this behavior is perfectly normal and should be used as a guide on how to have a relationship, but that's not the intention of the book. It's entertainment. Like gladiators slaughtering each other, vampires slaying one another...it's not real life!
Lorie wrote: "Karen wrote: "Lorie wrote: " I also didn't like the relationship between Ana and Christian. I felt like she was being taken advantage of. "
You must not have read the whole book, or the 2nd or 3r..."
Not that I'm recommending the third book..but she does end up with non-messed up Christian by the end of the series. They sort of find a compromise. He becomes less controlling.
It's the trope. If you watched the flick Pretty Woman?
You know what happens.
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Really... bummer... I thought it had to be official if he made the cover of Entertainment!!! I hope he gets the role. He would be perfect. My only other choice was Henry Cavill, and he's busy at the moment being the man of steel!!