Alright, so I have finally finished the Fifty Shades series. Took a little longer than expected because I do actually have to work for a living.
In this installment we find the young Master Christian still being an insufferable ass. As I was reading through the entire series, one strain of thought kept coming to my mind: "If Christian acted like that toward me, I would have kicked his ass and kicked him to the curb". Yes, I understand he is horribly messed up, but these days, who isn't? Suffering and abusive childhood, as many people do and have, does NOT give you the right to act like a megalomaniacle prick.
Now the entire story is a bit Twilighty, as it was meant to be originally. If I remember correctly it came off a sight called Twilighted.net. I am still a member of that sight. E.L. James fashioned the character Christian after the Stephanie Meyer character Edward Cullen.....but in looks, I think that is as far as it goes. Christian is actually more realistically fashioned after Richard Gere's character Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman. Right down to the job and the sex on the piano. Both Christian and Edward buy companies and break them apart and sell them bit by bit and make a very prosperous living doing it. It also has a flare of 9 1/2 Weeks. The character John being the powerful dom to Elizabeth's simple and fun but not really a sub.
Now I have been reading reviews online and trying as best I can to keep up with the information on this series. This is really the first time in a book I think that the BDSM lifestyle has gone mainstream. Frankly I have no idea how it made the NY Times Best Seller list, other than the fact that all the "mommies" on the east coast have gone "Twilight Mad" over it. Which brings me to this question: What the hell are these people reading on the east coast that makes them think this series is the shit??? Are they serious? These people need to visit a bookstore more frequently then. The story line is simple: Controlling, seriously fucked up young man falls for educated, simple young gal. Then tries to control her whole entire world. But while doing this, he finds his salvation lies with her and he begins to heal. All three books are filled with constant conflict; him castigating her, her fighting and complying. It actually made me anxious a few times while reading it lol. I don't have this kind of drama in my real life I sure as shit don't want to read about lol. If Anastasia were my friend I would have told her to dump the asshole lol. And there were many times in the storyline I thought if I were involved with Christian, I would have given him the big fat finger and fuck you to boot. Despite his first 4 years being neglected by his birth mother, Christian spent most of his life in a loving productive home. At some point I would think the character would realise, at a much younger age, that how he chooses to live his life is up to him.
Of course we cannot forget the character Elena. This part of the story line is very tricky. Christian falls into Elena's grasp at the age of 15. Christian is on a very negative and destructive streak. While working for Elena doing yard work, to earn money for a secret drinking problem, Elena slaps Christian, kisses him passionately, then slaps him again. Turned on, confused, UNDERAGE. How does one deal with this subject matter?? On the one hand, I grew up the only girl and an all boy household. At 15, none of my brothers would have minded the affections of an older woman. I'm not sure many 15 year old boys would. It does happen, and probably more frequently than we know of. Does it make it appropriate? Certainly not. So how does one reconcile this plot line, other than to say, despite that fact that for a while, it did help Christian focus his life? You can't. But you can say underage, and it's a huge gray area.
Now despite Christians overbearing control issues, Anastasia....well this ditz can't seem to get her act together. I didn't get the idea when Christian would ask her to do something he felt it was overkill, even though she did. But even when there was a threat of danger, this dumb broad blew off Christians warnings. Hell at one point, I wanted to hunt her down and beat the crap out of her. She knows Christian is seriously messed up yet consciously or maybe not consciously, she baits him time and time again. Then she wanders around the book wondering "is he mad at me?" Yes he's fucking mad at you you twit". Her serious bout with low self esteem had me wanting to gouge my eyes out.
Now yes, the big hub bub about the book series is its BDSM theme. I read a lot of books with this theme. This is BDSM light. It's really not a big deal in this book. It's handled with relative respect I think within the confines of the story, but it is NOT the most colorful I have ever read. I would call it, as I did in my previous synopsis, An Introduction to BDSM. Small "scenes" are played out...there is a demonstration of what not to do, (Christian spanking Ana with a belt, and despite her pain and intolerance, she accepts it and doesn't safeword) and a demonstration of what is appropriate (Christian stimulating Ana and denying her orgasm to the point of pain so she finally safewords and stops Christians punishment, an action he took to far as a dom, to her inexperienced submission)
Now, Joyce Lamb of USA Today, wrote a ridiculous article about the books and I have serious doubt she even read them....thoroughly at least.
http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2012-03-15/fifty-shades-of-grey-who-knew-women-like-erotica/648743/1
So I intend to pick her review apart bit by bit here. Her first faux pas is stating that the books BDSM plays a big role in the books. It doesn't. Not really. BDSM ( Bondage, Domination/submission, Sadism, Masochism) is a part of the books, but mental instability and the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) plays and even bigger role, constant throughout the entire series.
Next, Joyce Lamb states: "I have noticed, though, that the hubbub about Fifty Shades of Grey has highlighted some frustrating misconceptions about romance novels, erotica and readers of romance novels and erotica. Fact: Fifty Shades of Grey is not a romance novel. The ending is not happy.
I will answer this first. Joyce, Joyce, Joyce.....what to do, what to do. I am not in the publishing industry, though seeing articles like this I may rethink that. I'm just an avid book reader. I have a day job, friends, enjoy going out from time to time etc. Fifty Shades is neither really romance or erotica. It falls in the the abyss of the in between. Now, the publishing industry equates erotica as something that "pleasurable turns one on". Frankly, the constant bickering in the series was a huge TURN OFF for me, lol. Second, if Joyce has actually read the books, she would in fact know the ending is a happy one. So much so it can bring warm fuzzies to even Christians cold heart.
"The No. 1 rule in romance novels: A happy ending is a must, even when a book is only the first in a trilogy that probably does have a happy ending."
"Also, the "hero" of Fifty Shades of Grey does something at the end that is not redeemable by romance novel standards".
**SPOILER ALERT**
Now, if she is solely speaking about the first book...she's wrong again. It wasn't Christian that did something that was irredeemable, it was Ana. She consented to allow Christian to spank her with a belt on her butt. She was curious and wanted to see how dark it could be. Christian gave her instructions for safewording, but she didn't use them. The first rule in D/s is the sub has all the power. If a safeword is used, all action ceases and the sub is immediately cared for. However, Ana acted as if Christian knew she was in unsafe mode When he didn't, and acted like he beat her when that is in fact NOT what happened. IN fact when Christian found out how she felt he was devastated. It was Ana, not Christian. So in what amounts to her humiliation and bruised ego, she decides to bail on Christian, and he decides to let her go. Ana is an idiot.
The books are NOT MEANT TO BE READ AS STAND ALONES!!! They are meant to be as one complete story....so she's not right.
Now for my next answer. What is Joyce talking about? **SPOILER ALERT**
Near the end of the book, Ana tells Christian she is pregnant. Needless to say IF YOU HAD ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK, you knew he would come fifty shades of unglued. So he flips out on Ana, and storms out of the house. He meant to go to Dr. Flynn, who isn't available, and ends up seeing the bitch troll Elena. Again. It's not sexual, even though he does confess later that Elena made a pass at him, which made him realize how much he did in fact love Ana. Granted, it was a total dick move on his part. Yes, they talked briefly about kids, decided they were too young, needed to spend time getting to know each other better before they embarked on that endeavour. But as we all know shit happens. Irredeemable?? HARDLY.
In JR Wards book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lover Eternal, Rhage brings Mary, the object of his affections back to his bed. He loves her, has said as much, but yet still leaves her to go "level himself out" by fucking some other broad in a bar. A fact that is brought to light upon his return, in front of Mary, by the character Phury. Talk about a slap in the face! When I read that I was devastated for her character. Had it been me, I would have been done with him. Stone cold, never talked to him again, never seen him again, over and out fuck you I'm outta here don't try and find me ever...gone. THAT is irredeemable. However, Mary took it, and all worked out in the end.
"I won't spoil the story for the three people who haven't read it yet, but bottom line: Not a romance novel, not a romance hero. And that's not because of his BDSM tendencies -- you'll see why if you keep reading. "
Ok for the three people who havent read it. Don't worry about it. It's an ok read....Not worth the 10$ ebook price, thats for sure. It IS a romance novel, Christian IS a romance hero. And Joyce has obviously never spent time in the romance/erotica section of a bookstore to even remotely know what she's talking about.
I could go on, but suffice to say, read the answers given by Raelene, she is in the industry and she knows what she's talking about it.
Is Fifty Shades a good read? It's hard to say. It's not on my list of top 10. I found it parochial, frustrating, banal and repetitive to the nth degree. However, I did embrace the characters and I did want then to overcome and succeed. Despite my earlier prognostication of wanting them to destroy themselves, lol, I did want them to have their HEA in the end. I do think this book is better geared for a 20 something audience (I am 45). Would I read it again? Probably not, which I why I bought the ebook. Delete. Nuff said. When it comes to BDSM or D/s or Menage, my preferred authors are Joey W. Hill and Maya Banks. You can even throw Lora Leigh in this category as well as Jaci Burton. And I'm always looking for other authors to read as well.
In the end, what I look for in a book is something that is so far out of my own reality that it takes me to place of complete unfamiliarity and entertainment. I may be 45, but I am still a girl and I still love a good fairy tale. With whips and chains or not lol.
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