dont like it ..dont read it Showing 101-150 of 1,896

[Aliki]

αχ δεν το ξερεισ οτι ειναι πιο ευκολο να κατηγορουμε καποιον απο το να προσπαθησουμε να τον καταλαβουμε?βασικο προσον του ανθρωπου απο τα παντα του .

[Biondatina]

Aliki wrote: "αχ δεν το ξερεισ οτι ειναι πιο ευκολο να κατηγορουμε καποιον απο το να προσπαθησουμε να τον καταλαβουμε?βασικο προσον του ανθρωπου απο τα παντα του ."

Babe, όπως είπα και παραπάνω, είναι ελευθερία του καθενός να διαβάζει ότι θέλει, εδώ λέμε τη γνώμη μας για το βιβλίο που διαβάσαμε. Δεν κατηγοριοποιούμε τους αναγνώστες επειδή δεν τους άρεσε ή μίσησαν ένα βιβλίο.

Να μη ξεκινήσω να λέω για πολύ κλασσικά βιβλία που μου χαλούν την διάθεση, την ψυχολογία και τα αποφεύγω όπως ο διάβολος το λιβάνι.

Sorry for the greek but i had the need to answer to my friend Aliki. We both agree with what Mary wrote.

[Maria]

In english : I dont have any problem with people who read this and loved it and the opposite either for the kinky and sex type the book is. My main problem was and still is, that they tried to promote a trilogy of a series as an original theme when we all knew that this was a fanfiction.
In Greeks : τσουτσεκια μας τα εχουν κανει με αυτό το βιβλίο ποια :-P

[Aliki]

καλα εισαι θεα δεν το συζητω

[Maria]

Ευχαριστώ ευχαριστώ (κάτω από το τραπέζι τα λεφτά) :-P

[Aliki]

Biondatina wrote: "Aliki wrote: "αχ δεν το ξερεισ οτι ειναι πιο ευκολο να κατηγορουμε καποιον απο το να προσπαθησουμε να τον καταλαβουμε?βασικο προσον του ανθρωπου απο τα παντα του ."

Babe, όπως είπα και παραπάνω, ε..."

γιατι ζητασ sorry .εδω η αλλη με ειπε αγραμματη επειδη λεει οτι το θεμα μου ειναι λαθοσ γραμμενο.η βλαχαρα που να ξερει αυτη απο μεταφορικο λογο.να κατσουν να μαθουν ελληνικα αμα πια...εχω γινει φιλαρακια με τον μεταφραστη τησ google.το εριξα λιγο το επιπεδο εεε.κατσε να το βρω

[Kristin]

Tina J wrote: "I just think that a certain type of person likes these books.....as I find that the women who 'LOVE' them are usually single mothers, who have read about 5 books in their lifetime!"

Wow, Tina....can you bash the intelligence of those who liked the series any more?
I liked this series, in fact, I loved the first book. I found myself googling BDSM and trying to get more information about it besides what the author had provided. Would it be something I'm interested in with my husband? Oh hell no, but the book introduced me to something that I hadn't previously thought about. The love affair gradually dimmed after reading the second. And by the third, I was just reading to see how Christian would evolve.
I'd like to say though, I'm NOT a single mother, and I've read a hell of a lot more than 5 books in my lifetime. Usually more than 5 books in a month, depending on how much reading time the kidlets let me have.
In essence Tina, you being as intelligent as I'm sure you are, you can surely come up with something besides personal attacks on the people that do enjoy this series.

[Christine]

I've only read Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series which is laughably bad.

That scenario is pretty rare these days and there are many very good writers in the genre.

Not in the BDSM erotica trope it's not. Sylvia Day had it in her book, Jamie Aquirre in her's. The worste was Indecent Proposal - that book makes you cringe.

And I can't find a decent contemporary romance novel to save my life. The Pride and Prejudice fanfic doesn't interest me (also historical and a different sub-trope so not really comparable anyhow), so haven't tried it. Loretta Chase is about the closest I've come to a recent romance novelist who can write halfway well (and she's a historical novelist who has been writing since the 70s). Amanda Quick is repetitive. Garwood too. All write to the same formula or boilerplate. Then there's the Bridges of Madison County copy-cats. And talk about purple prose.

I've been on a romance novel reading binge to deal with work related stress...and a fascination with gender wars. In the past six months, I've read over 30 romance novels. None are half as well written as the novels I read in my 20s by Georgette Heyer, Rodgers, and Woodwiss. Nora Roberts Sweet Revenge had so many grammatical errors - I decided it had to be the e-book. Which may be the problem. The last two I read? After the Fall by Linda Howard? Sluggish and silly. And Julie James' book? I gave up on.

So I should re-state it, I can't find a decent contemporary romance on Kindle. After reading Dom of my Dreams, Bottoms Up, Indecent Proposal, Aprophdite's Initiation series,
Loretta Chase, The Marriage Proposal, Beautiful Disaster, amongst others...50 Shades seemed not that bad and at least different than most of the others out there. There are a few that are unreadable.

I'm starting to wonder about the publishing industry.
Do they just have lower standards when it comes to genre? Anne Rice's Violin? My god, the run-on sentences.

[Christine]

Christine wrote: "I've only read Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series which is laughably bad.

That scenario is pretty rare these days and there are many very good writers in the genre.

Not in the BDSM erotica trope i..."

But I am not being completely honest here...there are a couple of decent contemporary...Lisa Kleypas'
Rainshadow Road is not bad. But she can't write sex scenes to save her life.

And therein lies the problem...some can develop characters, some can write sex scenes, some can write witty dialogue, and some can do plotting well...but to find all of the above in one book is difficult.

The current one that I'm reading "Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake"? Isn't bad. The characters are better developed than most. And it is decidedly witty, sort of like Georgette Heyer's attempt at a bodice ripper. But there are plot problems that are jarring.

Currently?

Published and non-Published Fanfiction does the best contemporary and BDSM with a few exceptions.
Georgette Heyer the best Regency
Rosemary Rodgers is still the Queen of the Bodice Ripper as is Woodwiss and McBain
And there's a handful of writers who do historical well.

Best romances I've read aren't even in the genre. Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles, John Green's Fault in Our Stars, Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, and I guess you could say Austen's Pride and Prejudice is in the genre, but it's more classical literature. Same with the Brontes, and Tolstoy's Anna Karenia and DH Lawrence's Lady Chatterly's Lover or
for that matter Anais Nin and Henry Miller or the Marquis de Sade.

[Maria]

Τίνα ποιος σε είπε βλαχάρα να τον κάνω κομματάκια; :-P whoever said that TB books are bad i so agree with her, Sookie is a character that i dislike so much

[Mary]

Christine wrote: "And I can't find a decent contemporary romance novel to save my life. The Pride and Prejudice fanfic doesn't interest me (also historical and a different sub-trope so not really comparable anyhow), so haven't tried it. Loretta Chase is about the closest I've come to a recent romance novelist who can write halfway well (and she's a historical novelist who has been writing since the 70s). Amanda Quick is repetitive. Garwood too. All write to the same formula or boilerplate. Then there's the Bridges of Madison County copy-cats. And talk about purple prose."

I really do not consider erotica and romance the same thing, but that is probably just semantics. Contemporary romance authors who write well are probably much fewer than those who write historicals, but I think Jennifer Crusie does a good job on most of her books (some not so good). Everything is subjective of course, but I consider her writing to be very witty. I loved the Bridget Jones books and their modern day take on P&P. Rachel Gibson is also a contemporary romance author I like as are the earlier Susan Elizabeth Phillips books. My favorite historical romance authors would be Loretta Chase, Karen Ranney, Penelope Williamson, Candice Proctor, Laura Kinsale. Carla Kelly is also good as are Madeline Hunter and Elizabeth Hoyt.

[Melina]

"dont like it ..dont read it"

I don't like this. I Read this book and didn't have the impression before reading it that I would hate it. Once I finished this book I came to the conclusion that I disliked it. And you cannot assume that everyone hates this book because of the amount of sexual content in it.

[Jambriones]

I reader the book and did not like it at all.

[Biondatina]

Maria wrote: "Τίνα ποιος σε είπε βλαχάρα να τον κάνω κομματάκια; :-P whoever said that TB books are bad i so agree with her, Sookie is a character that i dislike so much"

Babe, νομίζω η Αλίκη αναφέρθηκε σε κάποια δεν ξέρω σε ποια από όλες (γιατί σε αυτό το discussion έχουμε λύσει το μεσανατολικό, την οικονομική κρίση του Ευρώ και πάμε να λύσουμε και το πρόβλημα του ρατσισμού με τόση συζήτηση) που της έκανε επίθεση γιατί δεν διατύπωσε σωστά στα αγγλικά αυτό που ήθελε να πει...

Αναφορικά με το βιβλίο, ωραίο ήταν θα έλεγα ελαφρύ καλοκαιρινό ανάγνωσμα, τέλος. Έχω ξεκινήσει άλλα και περιμένω να βγουν άλλα. Δεν ΤΕΛΕΙΩΝΕΙ η ΖΩΗ σε ΕΝΑ βιβλίο...

(Υ.Γ. και που να είχε και τίποτα θρησκευτικές αναφορές... θα είχαμε σκοτωθεί εδώ μέσα... Πόλεμο θα είχαμε...)

(Υ.Γ. 2 Τελικά το sex ενοχλεί... σε αυτό το συμπέρασμα καταλήγω...αναφέρομαι στα βιβλία... πάντα)

[Christine]

Stephanie wrote: "Christine wrote: "This thread was not about why people disliked the books but why they felt the need to read books they disliked...."

Some people just love to dwell on negativity. Yes I have read ..."

I don't either. That's what I've found so bewildering about the threads I've seen on Good Reads:

1. Who Hates Harry Potter?
2. Who Else Hates Pullman's Golden Compass?
3. Who Hates Mockinjay?

Why? And why read a book just to fight with the people who loved it? Let them love the book.

I've read books I didn't like. And some I despised.
But I don't have the time to bash them, or worse - fight the fans of them into agreeing with me. We think differently, we all read for different reasons, we struggle with different things. Reading takes us out of ourselves...and in some cases is a good escape.
Writing is an author sharing a piece of themselves with us - I respect that.

[Christine]

I really do not consider erotica and romance the same thing, but that is probably just semantics.

No, you are correct. Generally speaking they aren't.
50 Shades is more romance than erotica. Story of O
and the Anne Rice Sleeping Beauty trilogy is pure erotica.

Contemporary romance authors who write well are probably much fewer than those who write historicals, but I think Jennifer Crusie does a good job on most of her books (some not so good). Everything is subjective of course, but I consider her writing to be very witty. I loved the Bridget Jones books and their modern day take on P&P

See I don't really consider Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones romance so much as chick-lit. Romance is not the main point of the book. Also there is almost no sex in it.

I agree - I loved Bridged Jones, didn't like the sequels.

Jennifer Cruisie...is okay. I liked Bet Me well enough, Tell Me Lies...did not work for me, the heroine drove me nuts. ;-) And she's more romance.

There is the contemporary romance/erotica combo which is 50 Shades, Bared to You...and its harder to find, which explain 50 Shades popularity. A lot of readers out there are looking for erotica, and not finding it.
(They really need to spend more time on fanfic sites, because it is out there for free. In the fanfic world they call it - Porn with no Plot (pure erotica) Plot with Porn (romance with lots of sex and different ratings NC17, R, X, etc.)).

And you're correct it is all subjective. I feel a need to explain to the people who don't get the appeal of 50 Shades, that we aren't all reading the same book or in the same way. There's an excellent article online entitled "You're Friends Aren't Watching the Same TV Shows You Are and That's Okay".
People don't focus on the same things. We aren't bugged or turned on by the same things. Not everyone has had the same experiences, actually no one has.

I didn't notice the repetitous phrases in 50 Shades, didn't bug me at all. But I've read worse and recently, so was more tolerant. Also, at least she didn't use the word sparkle. ;-)

I was mainly relieved that the heroine fought back and wasn't a wimp, as I thought, and surprised by how witty it was. I went into the experience with very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Was it the best book ever, no. But Jennifer Crusie isn't any better. I'd put her in the same category and she's a long-term professional writer.

[Clare]

Ive read all three books and i loved them, for the person who wrote saying it encourages women to run off with jerks, well thats just crap! If you actually read the first book properly you will see that theres a reason for him being the way he is and anastasia helps him sort his head out. He doesnt force her to do anything! Whats annoying is people are moaning about the book being filth but half of these people havent read the book so how the hell would they know!! I do admit after the second book things did get a little repetative and i did get a tad bored with the "raunchy" scenes but the actual story behind christian and ana kept me reading. I would like to say that i have read over 50 books in the last year and im happily married with 3 kids, so commenting on peoples intelligence for reading the trilogy is very rude and unnecessary!

[Mary]

Christine wrote: "See I don't really consider Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones romance so much as chick-lit. Romance is not the main point of the book. Also there is almost no sex in it. "

The definition of a romance novel is that the hero and heroine's story must be central to the story, their relationship must change and there must be a happy ever after. There is no requirement that there be sex ;0). I think that Bridget & Mark Darcy's relationship is central to the book even if other things are going on in her life. So I think this book can be placed in multiple genre classifications (just as romantic suspense, romantic paranormal, etc. can have multiple classifications). I am going to have to disagree with you on Jennifer Crusie. She is a much better writer than E.L. James in my opinion. My favorite of hers is "Welcome to Temptation."
Carla Kelly is another romance author who writes well and there is very little sex in any of her books.

Another poster commented on the Sookie Stackhouse books. I love these books (even if Harris' writing is flawed). I wonder if my being from the South has something to do with this. So many authors attempt to write Southern characters and end up with caricatures. She "gets" the southern culture. I guess I have different standards for different books and genres. If I am comparing Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" to Anne Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" the criteria I judge them by will be much different than if I am comparing Anne McCafferty to Frank Herbert or Patricia Cornwall with John Grisham. Most of what is available from contemporary authors will never make any classics list. That does not mean they do not have merit or that their entertainment value is not worth anything. Sometimes I want to immerse myself in the age old classics, but much of the time I just want a "chew them up and spit them out" book that will entertain me for a few hours. I judge the light books I read differently because I do not EXPECT them to ever be labeled a classic. Does this make any sense?

[Christine]

A great deal of sense.

So much of this is due to personal subjective taste.
I read about five or six of the Sookie ones, so obviously I didn't hate them. But I think EL James' writing is on par with those novels, I liked EL James 50 Shades too. James is a lot better with dialogue.
Harris is better with description but is horrible at dialogue. Dialogue is important to me - so I appreciate witty banter.

In the paranormal field? My favorites are Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher. Who I hold to different standards than say, EL James - who is a beginning writer and this is the first book she's written and its not a paranormal novel.

Harris did a good job with world-building and had a great idea. (Personally, I think the tv series has more interesting character development and plots.)
But she is not adept at dialogue. A lot aren't.
That's what I appreciated about EL James, her dialogue worked.

But mileage varies on this. And I think we all read differently and focus on different things. Some people read for "information" or prefer plot-driven books, other's prefer character driven novels.

And what turns you on or off from a book is so varied.
I'm willing to overlook certain things if a character fascinates me for example or a narrative style.

And you're correct - I don't think it is fair to compare a book like Bridget Jones to Pride and Prejudice, two different writing styles.

To clarify - I didn't write the above post very clearly, I'm afraid, sneaking this at work, but you are right - romance doesn't require sex. I think Bridget Jones just felt more like chick-lit with emphasis on humor and less on romance, than say a novel like...Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas or Bet Me by Cruisie.

I'm trying to understand the anger so many of the posters feel in regards to 50 Shades sucess. It's not like there haven't been similar books in the past - such as Jacqulaine Suzanne's Valley of the Dolls or
Jackie Collins books...I mean the best-seller list is hardly known for quality writing. But it is fun.
People can be weirdly snobbish regarding books (sigh, yes, I know, so can I...so I include myself in that category.)

[Linda]

All the hype is because there weren't too many other books like it and it freaked people out. Dr. Drew told his audience to stay away from it because it was damaging to women. Elvis wasn't the worlds greatest singer in the world either but if you liked him - YOU LOVED him.
I didn't think the book had the best writing either, but I did like the book because the story was DIFFERENT.. it wasn't an epiphany, and it didn't feed my soul. I just liked it because, well, my mental picture of Christian rocked my world and I couldn't get enough of it. Let the haters hate.

I just hate to hear someone say it's rot when they havne't read it for themselves. Like eople who hate sushi but have never tried it. You're missing out on stuff because you live within those thick walls.

[Mary]

Christine wrote: "I'm trying to understand the anger so many of the posters feel in regards to 50 Shades sucess. It's not like there haven't been similar books in the past - such as Jacqulaine Suzanne's Valley of the Dolls or
Jackie Collins books...I mean the best-seller list is hardly known for quality writing. But it is fun.
People can be weirdly snobbish regarding books (sigh, yes, I know, so can I...so I include myself in that category.) "

I really do not get it either. Her books were fine for a beginning author, but there is room for much improvement. What baffles me is how PERSONAL the attacks against her books are. I do not know the woman and have no interest in meeting her; nor do I begrudge her the success she has had with these books. Why do people CARE so much?

[Mary]

Christine wrote: "Harris is better with description but is horrible at dialogue. Dialogue is important to me - so I appreciate witty banter. ."

I think this is an interesting observation because I think Harris is better with dialogue . I thought James had too many misplaced British idioms. I am wondering if background has a lot to do with it. When the movie, "O Brother Where Art Thou" came out, I watched that movie over and over again. I KNEW people like that. A lot of my northern friends just did not get it or like it at all. With Harris' characters, I KNOW people like them and that is the way they speak, so the dialogue seems very genuine. My niece has a degree in English with a concentration in linguistics. Harris' 1st Sookie book drove her crazy because she was constantly picking apart the text for grammatical flaws. If I had not already seen 3 of the True Blood seasons, I might not have gone on to the second book but either she got better or I began overlooking the flawed writing in search of the story. Either way, I got sucked in. ;0)

[Christine]

Dr. Drew told his audience to stay away from it because it was damaging to women.

Really? Sigh. And yet, he didn't say one word about Girl with the Dragon Tatoo series or any of the other
male written books such as The Marriage Plot which has an narcissitic female at the center. Not that I think they are either...but. And how about American Psycho by Bret Easten Ellis??? Which has the worste sexual scene I've read?

Not that I'm saying people shouldn't be allowed to read them, they should. Just well, hello..get a grip.
People can be so patronizing and judgemental. ;-)

I didn't think the book had the best writing either, but I did like the book because the story was DIFFERENT.. it wasn't an epiphany, and it didn't feed my soul. I just liked it because, well, my mental picture of Christian rocked my world and I couldn't get enough of it.

Agreed. It scratched my itch. It relieved stress. It was fun. And what a lot of people don't understand is we all read differently. Some people only see the words on the page, others escape inside a book and see it played out in their heads as a movie, others..

I just hate to hear someone say it's rot when they havne't read it for themselves. Like eople who hate sushi but have never tried it. You're missing out on stuff because you live within those thick walls.

True. There's two problems here though - the group that hasn't read it. And the group that hated the first book and kept reading just so they could go online and rip it to shreds and attack those who did like it. Similar to the Twilight haters (now I didn't like Twilight...couldn't make it through the first book, but I respect those who did - they saw it differently than I did.)

Let the people who loved it, love it. So, it's not the best written thing in the world. So it is silly in places. Who cares. It made some people happy.
And it's fantasy. Not hurting anyone.

[Sandra]

"Amy wrote: "What?? The writing is great? Constantly repetitive phrases and words, no variety in vocabulary, poor use of grammar and construction is considered well-written? I'm sad to think that th..."

Thank you thank you, these books are some of the worst I've ever read...from someone that actually expects good writing from an author regardless of the genre.

[Aliki]

Biondatina wrote: "Aliki wrote: "αχ δεν το ξερεισ οτι ειναι πιο ευκολο να κατηγορουμε καποιον απο το να προσπαθησουμε να τον καταλαβουμε?βασικο προσον του ανθρωπου απο τα παντα του ."

Babe, όπως είπα και παραπάνω, ε..."

αυτο ειναι τρομερη ιδεα γιατι αυτουσ τουσ κλασσικουσ μασ βαζουν με το ζορι να τουσ διαβαζουμε.ξεχνω εγω την μανα του γκοργκι που μου το εδωσαν στα 14 να το διαβασω και ακομη οταν ακουω τρενο τσουτσουρωνω

[Christine]

Mary wrote: "Christine wrote: "Harris is better with description but is horrible at dialogue. Dialogue is important to me - so I appreciate witty banter. ."

I think this is an interesting observation because I..."

It may be. I don't know. It's been a long time since I've read her - about five years. But my memory of the dialogue was:

Eric: hello lover.
Sookie: Oh Eric.
Eric: Oh Sookie.

Me...oh, can we move on already! LOL! And I liked the pairing.

Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead are actually her best books - and the only two I'd recommend. She gets worse though...Definitely Dead was unreadable and where I gave up, I think. Dead to the World was just silly although...admittedly funny at times.

But it may well be how we look at dialogue. I love British idioms and find that more appealing.

[Christine]

Mary wrote: "Christine wrote: "I'm trying to understand the anger so many of the posters feel in regards to 50 Shades sucess. It's not like there haven't been similar books in the past - such as Jacqulaine Suza..."

It's almost as if they are furious because she got published and they didn't. I get that. I've also read a few mid-list literary writer blogs, where the writer is furious that this book is doing well and her's isn't. It is admittedly painful when you've written a great deal and fought to get published, and worked really hard at your craft - to see James get published that easily. I know that's how I felt about Stephanie Meyer.

Others, the non-writers, I don't understand. So what if her book is badly written. Have they checked out the best-seller list lately? I mean, hello, Snookie has a book out. LOL! James self-published via a publishing house in Australia. Then she self-marketed and it took off by word of mouth.

Is it the subject matter? Again, not the worst on the planet. I remember the hype over American Psycho, which right now is considered literary. And then there was the hype way back in the 1970s or 1960s over The Story of O - which at that time was touted the book of the female sexual revolution. It was highly controversial and sort of makes 50 Shades seem tame by comparison.

And then there's Twilight, which people have been ranting about and mocking for five years now.

People? I want to say. Get a grip. They are just trendy books.

[Christine]

Maria wrote: "In english : I dont have any problem with people who read this and loved it and the opposite either for the kinky and sex type the book is. My main problem was and still is, that they tried to prom..."

Okay, I'm curious about this...why is it a problem for you that it started out as fanfiction?

I'm not being fascetious, I truly don't understand. As a former copyright specialist, I know that her work is legal. It was Everyone is Human fanfic, just using the names of the characters and facsimile of their likeness. It's not a canonical fanfic. She's not in that world. I couldn't tell it came from the Twilight books or was based on them. The bits that were similar are the trope. Is the problem that she published it online in a fanfic forum first? A lot of people do that - as way of working on their writing. Is it that she published it online for free first? Various self-published writers do that - to get people interested.

Where's the problem? I don't understand.

[Christine]

Kris wrote: "Tina J wrote: "I just think that a certain type of person likes these books.....as I find that the women who 'LOVE' them are usually single mothers, who have read about 5 books in their lifetime!"
..."

Agreed. I'm not a mother. I'm single. I'm over the age of 40. I live in NYC. I've traveled the world. I've read over 4000 books in various genres. I am a legal professional and write. And I enjoyed the books.

Making assumptions based on generalizations is silly.
It's as bad as stating that the people who hated the books are pruds.

I find the term "Mommy Porn" offensive and chauvinistic. Various women enjoyed these books, of various ages, demographics, ethnicities, cultures, languages, and professions.

[S.L.J.]

I read it just to see what all the hype was about.

Now that I have...*shudder*

Nothing says romance like a guy yanking a girls tampon out and using his own dick to plug the bleeding instead.

E.L. James needs professional help.

[Jmackarla]

S.L.J. wrote: "I read it just to see what all the hype was about.

Now that I have...*shudder*

Nothing says romance like a guy yanking a girls tampon out and using his own dick to plug the bleeding instead.

E.L..."

LOL!
Nothing says masterpiece like a badly written book!

[Rebecca]

It's almost as if they are furious because she got published

Not for me, I say good luck to her.

I just think it's a badly written book and I am trying to understand why it is such a runaway hit by having a discussion about it. I am honestly dumbfounded by this book, and especially why a character like Christian Grey is appealing to women.

As for American Psycho, it is a disturbing book, but it is a well written book.

Patrick Bateman of American Psycho is a thoroughly despicable character, I would be thoroughly surprised if someone told me after reading it that Patrick was their dream guy.

Similarly, I am confused about the appeal of Christian Grey, granted he is not in the same category as Patrich Bateman, but I am still surprised! I don't find him likeable at all, I'm surprised that so many women would. I think that most women, if they met a real Christian Grey would make a quick escape.

I am not dwelling on negativity, this is discussing a book. If we all felt the same way there would be no discussion to be had. I welcome people to disagree with me, Infact I invite you to. This is not an angry argument. Atleast not from my part.

[Jmackarla]

Well said!

[S.L.J.]

B3cs wrote: "It's almost as if they are furious because she got published

Not for me, I say good luck to her.

I just think it's a badly written book and I am trying to understand why it is such a runaway hi..."

LOL agreed. A girl goes through the trouble of shaving her pubic hair just to please him and what does he say?

...you missed a bit.

:.

[Liz]

No story line, the characters were annoying, there was no plot, and yet I could not put the book down. I had to finish all three books in the series. I did skip over the sex scenes though, seriously enough is enough. Would I recommend them to anyone else though? Not a chance.

[Christine]

B3cs wrote: "It's almost as if they are furious because she got published

Not for me, I say good luck to her.

I just think it's a badly written book and I am trying to understand why it is such a runaway hi..."

My comment wasn't directed towards you and was meant generally.

I'll tell you why I disliked American Psycho = the writer wrote increasingly misogynistic sex scenes in an erotic manner. The sex scene that made it impossible for me to continue reading and want to get rid of the book (I gave it to a friend who loved Easten Ellis), involved a starving rat, a piece of blue cheese and the graphic rape of a women with both.
I don't understand how people can read it without wanting to strangle the writer. BUT, I read it for a book club and one of the women loved it and I know she saw it differently - more satire. That scene didn't bother her. I'll never understand why. The movie however worked quite well for me.

We read differently. We think differently. That's why it is so hard to understand. Actually it is impossible to understand why someone likes something unless you are inside them. Lived their life.

Also, we read for different reasons. And we've all read different books. I've read great books and horrible books in all genres. I've read a lot of online fanfiction. EL James book isn't that bad - but it depends on what you compare it too. If all you've read is literary, than yes. If you've read James Patterson and the best-sellers - it's no worse or better. Or the .99 cent self-published novels on Amazon - they are atrocious.

It's not that different than tv actually. Some people think the only tv shows worth watching are Breaking Bad and Sopranoes or PBS. Others love True Blood and Vamp Diaries. Other people think that Two and a Half Men is the bomb! And then there's people who adore cheesy daytime soap opera serials because they are fun, unpredictable, and you can fill in the gaps, ship the characters, write fanfic about them, and find out everything. They are watching because a character resonates or appeals.

Christian Grey appealed to me because he was lonely, isolated, and socially awkward - he didn't quite know how to deal with people or relationships. I found that interesting. I'm also a frustrated psychology major and find prickly characters or damaged characters appealing. I'm enjoying Breaking Bad.

But it's not something that is easy to explain. And it is often very personal and private why we like what we like or love what we love. I remember my mother ranting about the popular film The Hangover - which everyone loved, but she found juvenile, crappy, misogynistic, and offensive. I watched it - it's not bad, sort of silly and dumb, but I can see its appeal for some. Not my cup of tea.

Same with the Twilight novels lots of my family members love it. I have a cousin, who is a quality assuarance engineer, top in her field, mentally exhausting job, who deals in a male dominated field, and is the boss at home - she loved Twilight. I can't stand it. But I enjoyed 50 Shades...it didn't require any thought. It was easy to read. It was fun. It was different. It was erotic. And I have a stressful, mentally exhausting job.

You aren't going to understand unless you know what it feels like to be a single woman in a male dominated work place in her 40s going through mid-life crisis and is stressed out and even that isn't an explanation.

But here's the thing? Why I should I have to explain it to you? Why do you need an explanation? Maybe I just enjoy it. I have widely eclectic tastes. Maybe it isn't horrible writing to me. Are you really qualified to judge what is excellent writing and what isn't? Are any of us? Does it even matter? Can't you just like the sitcom Two and a Half Men without people telling you its horrible and you have bad taste? Or the Hangover? Or Twilight? Or American Psycho? Or
Peyton Place? Or the latest James Patterson, David Baldacci, Terry Brooks Sword of Shannara novel? What's wrong with loving pulp?

Pulp is fun! Embrace the pulp! After all The Avengers, a silly superhero flick that was far from well-written, although I thought it was a lot of fun, made more than 400 million in its first week at the box office.

[Christine]

Similarly, I am confused about the appeal of Christian Grey, granted he is not in the same category as Patrich Bateman, but I am still surprised! I don't find him likeable at all, I'm surprised that so many women would. I think that most women, if they met a real Christian Grey would make a quick escape.

I certainly would. I used to have these same weird discussions with men and women online about the character of Spike (a vampire on a serial entitled Buffy the Vampire Slayer). One writer, of the series, accused female shippers of the character of liking serial killers.

LOL! What an idiot. Seriously. Christian Grey does not exist. He is a fictional character. Just as Spike is.
Fictional characters take on a life of their own. Also we focus on different things when we look at characters.

Think of female characters you've enjoyed in fiction, have you ever liked the wicked ones? The femme fatales with the hearts of gold? It's not that different.

As EL James stated in an interview - of course I don't want Christian Grey in reality. But it's nice to fantasize after a tough mentally exhausting day of someone who will just take care of everything for you.
But its just fantasy, at the end of the day, we want a guy who does the dishes.

I'd never date a Christian Grey in real life.

Part of the appeal..is well its comforting to read about an abusive relationship, you think - well as bad as my life gets - it could be worse. Thank god, I'm not Ana Steele.

The other appeal..is well, curiousity - how will they work this out? This relationship seems impossible.
Can someone like Christian be redeemed? Can he be cured? Can she help him?

And the poor writing in some ways aids the fantasy, because you can fill in the gaps. James gives you weird details like the music they like, or about hang gliding, or discusses the pros and cons of BDSM.
It's different from so many of the books out there. It's not as formulaic.

[Stephanie]

Linda wrote: "I just liked it because, well, my mental picture of Christian rocked my world and I couldn't get enough of it. Let the haters hate..."

Christine wrote: "It scratched my itch. It relieved stress. It was fun. And what a lot of people don't understand is we all read differently. Some people only see the words on the page, others escape inside a book and see it played out in their heads as a movie, others......"


I agree with both Linda and Christine.
I love FSoG. I thought it was a fun, entertaining, and erotic read. Was it written perfectly? No, some of it was a bit repetitious, but I enjoyed it regardless. I loved the romantic story of Fifty Shades of Grey. I found it beautiful, imperfect, and exciting. FSoG was an emotional roller coaster. It made me laugh, cry, pissed, swoon, and sexually frustrated. And I enjoyed every minute of it! Some books aren’t meant to be over analyzed. Just let loose and have fun. When I read a book I’m really into, I don’t see words, I see it like a movie in my head. I thought everyone was the same. I fell in love with the character Christian Grey. At first I hated him but he grew on me and evolved. I’ve always had a thing for rich, successful, adventurous, sexy, alpha males. Would I fall for a guy like Christian in real life? Maybe, I’ve always liked a bad boy, fixer upper who is great in bed :) You guys can go pray for me now, since I love “abusive” men..lol

[Mary]

Christine wrote: "But it may well be how we look at dialogue. I love British idioms and find that more appealing. "

Oh I love British idioms as well. My brother-in-law is British and my son-in-law is Irish. I just thought that they sounded strange coming from a person from the Pacific Northwest. ;0)

[Mary]

Christine wrote: "Agreed. I'm not a mother. I'm single. I'm over the age of 40. I live in NYC. I've traveled the world. I've read over 4000 books in various genres. I am a legal professional and write. And I enjoyed the books.

Making assumptions based on generalizations is silly.
It's as bad as stating that the people who hated the books are pruds.

I find the term "Mommy Porn" offensive and chauvinistic. Various women enjoyed these books, of various ages, demographics, ethnicities, cultures, languages, and professions.
"

Amen Christine! While I am a mother, my children are 26, 23 and 20 years old. I am also an attorney, have read thousands of books over the years,have a minor in English and I write grants professionally. I have also traveled a good bit and have relatives that have lived all over the world. The "Mommy Porn" irritates me as well.

[S.L.J.]

I am British and I thought they were terrible.

[Sarah]

Alright people-

1. Its a book - Check!
2. It deals with sex - Check!
3. It deals with sex toys - Check!
4. It does have a sense of romance - Check!
5. It well written - Check!
6. It is not "mommy porn" - Check!
7. I am not ashamed to read/talk about this book - Check! (I work at a B&N)

Yes people are entitled to their opinion but no they do not need to go the extremes of calling it names like "mommy porn" nor do they have a right to look down at whomever is reading it. I do not think anyone should be ashamed to read a book that deals with sex. If you can not talk about sex openly then you have some more pressing issues.

Most romance books (or non romance books)deal with some form of sex though it might not be as "extreme" (even though I don't think this book is that extreme - I mean you can find most of the stuff simply by walking into a sex store).

I do believe some people really need to broaden their horizons and at least attempt to read books they might normally shy away from. If you try and it, but still dislike it that's alright. At least it was attempted and you can seriously back up WHY you don't like it other than what you've been "told".

Ok sorry for my rant but I'm just fed up with people and the crap i have to hear daily.

[Christine]

Mary wrote: "Christine wrote: "But it may well be how we look at dialogue. I love British idioms and find that more appealing. "

Oh I love British idioms as well. My brother-in-law is British and my son-in-la..."

LOL! I think I just thought they were hilarious. I have to admit, I didn't take it seriously. The dialogue made me laugh so hard at times.

[Christine]

And I enjoyed every minute of it! Some books aren’t meant to be over analyzed. Just let loose and have fun. When I read a book I’m really into, I don’t see words, I see it like a movie in my head. I thought everyone was the same.

I remember my aunt telling me about a psychology course she took once. They asked everyone in the class to listen to a piece of music and then write what they thought while listening to it. My aunt wrote a story or the movie in her head that she saw as she listened, she's a visual learner and thinker - thinks in pictures. But she was the only person in the class that did that. One person wrote musical notes. Another put down colors. Another wrote numbers.

She told me that her son - who has an advanced degree in nuclear physics and can see equations in his head, can't understand metaphors, he thinks literally. He can't analyze literature and what is on the page is on the page. He doesn't see the story in his head. And subtext? Lost on him. If it isn't stated exact, he doesn't see it.

I however think metaphorically. Poetry is easy for me to read. I see novels like pictures in my head. I don't focus on all the words. And because I'm dyslexic, I read differently than others...I figure out the meaning of text by the context. I don't think literally.

Like you, the story came alive in my head. And I found the abusive relationship interesting - because I wanted to know how they writer would solve the character's issues. In a romance novel the conflict is often the romantic relationship - it can either be external or internal. Her it was both. Often it's about a gender power-struggle.

[Rebecca]

Christine wrote: But here's the thing? Why I should I have to explain it to you? Why do you need an explanation? Maybe I just enjoy it.

You don't have to explain it to me, nobody has to! But this is a discusson board, and I am interested to hear people's opinion on this point. If the reason you like something is personal and private to you that's OK, you don't have to share. I see "Goodreads" as a place to discuss what you like or dislike about a book, a character, a piece of writing etc etc.
I am asking questions about the book that I would like other's opinion on, whilst also sharing mine. Everyone has a choice to contribute or not, I am not compelling anyone to justify themselves, I am asking them why they liked a book. I don't think its overly personal to ask someone what they liked about a book or character. Perhaps it seems personal because I hold an opposing view?


Are you really qualified to judge what is excellent writing and what isn't? Are any of us? Does it even matter?

Absolutely not, but I do know what I like and don't like and I am happy to share. If Goodreads is not the forum to do this in, I don't know what is.

[Stephanie]

Christine wrote: "And I enjoyed every minute of it! Some books aren’t meant to be over analyzed. Just let loose and have fun. When I read a book I’m really into, I don’t see words, I see it like a movie in my head. ..."

Thank you Christine that was really insightful. I never thought about how other people read books.

[Biondatina]

Να μη ξεκινήσω να λέω για πολύ κλασσικά βιβλία που μου χαλούν την διάθεση, την ψυχολογία και τα αποφεύγω όπως ο διάβολος το λιβάνι.

Aliki wrote: αυτο ειναι τρομερη ιδεα γιατι αυτουσ τουσ κλασσικουσ μασ βαζουν με το ζορι να τουσ διαβαζουμε.ξεχνω εγω την μανα του γκοργκι που μου το εδωσαν στα 14 να το διαβασω και ακομη οταν ακουω τρενο τσουτσουρωνω "

Έτσι μπρε κοπελιά, υπάρχουν τόσα ωραία βιβλία να διαβάσεις που σου δίνουν το άλλο πρίσμα στη ζωή... Δεν είναι εγώ να διαβάσεις μόνο παραμυθάκια, λουλούδια και αγάπες... αλλά και αυτοί οι κλασσικοί, ένας σκοτεινός μεσαίωνας...

ΔΕΝ ΘΕΛΩ ΝΑ ΑΚΟΥΣΩ ΓΙΑ ΠΑΠΑΔΙΑΜΑΝΤΗ

[Mary]

Christine wrote: "I however think metaphorically. Poetry is easy for me to read. I see novels like pictures in my head. I don't focus on all the words. And because I'm dyslexic, I read differently than others...I figure out the meaning of text by the context. I don't think literally. "

While I am not dyslexic, I am an extremely visual learner. I am also a very fast reader and I read in chunks of words rather than word by word. I also see the book in my mind the entire time like it is a movie. I also read with a rhythm in my head. Sentences that are too short and choppy or do not flow for some reason are the one thing that can jar me out of my reading zone faster than anything else. Poetry, in my opinion, is meant to be read aloud and while one is reading it you become aware of the rhythm, but a narrative also has its own unique rhythm and I think I am listening to that rhythm almost subconsciously while I am reading. When I write something, I will sometimes read it out loud if I think it isn't working for some reason. That is usually enough to point me in the right direction. I think it is fascinating how people learn and how they digest information. Because there are so many variations on learning styles, it should not surprise us that there are variations on how we perceive literature. I do not think any of us are particularly right or wrong in our assessments. We are just different.

[Amy]

Sarah wrote: "Alright people-

1. Its a book - Check!
2. It deals with sex - Check!
3. It deals with sex toys - Check!
4. It does have a sense of romance - Check!
5. It well written - Check!
6. It is not "mommy ..."

I can accept all your points except #5 - it is not well written at all. There are too many repetitive phrases and structual weaknesses to be well written.

[Melanie]

I hated this book, and here is what I have to say:

1 - The writing is not THAT bad.

2 - Could care less about how descriptive the sex is as I love a good romance or erotica novel.

3 - Ana & Christian's relationship is based on something completely superficial, and not emotional. She refuses to leave him simply because he is rich and handsome. That is also why she decides to give up her virginity to him in the first place, AND has to get tipsy to go through with it.

4 - I am bothered if, as a woman, you can't identify that it is clearly an abusive relationship. This is NOT because of the type of sex they have, it's about their relationship. I.E. What motivates Ana to be with him in the first place, and what motivates her to stay.

5 - Ana is completely infantine, and is treated that way by Christian. That is creepy and offputting. Dominance is one thing. Christian actually treating Ana like a child is something else.

6 - It's called a vagina. Not "down there". See point 5. She's an adult woman, not a toddler. And FYI, your toddler should know the real words anyway.

7 - Ana is your daughter. I don't have kids yet, if that means anything, and am actually close to Ana's age. How would you feel about THAT being your daughter's first sexual experience? Keep in mind, young adult women are finding ways to read this book because of all the cross listings and references to Twilight.

I think hating because you are the kind of person who always roots for the underdog is one thing. If you hate Harry Potter, whatever. But understanding what is really wrong with this book is something else. This is not about taste. It's about what it says about women if this is what A LOT of woman find hot, erotic, and even worse, ROMANTIC?!