Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Aug 29, 2014 9:09:57 GMT -5
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 29, 2014 9:14:29 GMT -5
When I found out it was originally Twilight fan fic that explained A LOT. I intensely disliked Twilight too. Once someone pointed it out then yeah I could see the similarities. I must be weird because I found the sex scenes (besides creepy) rather vanilla and childish. For all the hype surrounding it and how it "revolutionized the American bedroom" I wasn't impressed. I thought I'd at least read proper terminology for certain body parts. You want some intense erotica read The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (it's under one of her pen names I can't remember). Now THAT is freaking hard core. Correct terminology for body parts? Something like Ooh baby....please put that penis in my vagina.... I don't need an anatomy lesson while I'm reading my smut! I don't know, maybe not correct terminology but I've gotten more "graphic" descriptions out of a Harelquin romance novel than I did this book.
Then there is a werewolf trilogy I am into that isn't smut but does have A LOT of sex and it's graphic. It's a British author and apparently they have a lot less issues with the "c" word than we Americans do.
There's also Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty trilogy.
So for all the hype I kept hearing about the book I thought I'd get a little more than what she offered. I honestly felt like I was reading sex scenes written by someone who has never actually had sex, let alone the type of sex she was trying to go for in the novels.
I am going to read about sex it better be GOOD sex, otherwise I am skipping the book and going off to create it myself.
I'm sure over the course of my lifetime I've read many books that other people dislike or even downright hate. It doesn't really bother me if people don't agree with me liking the book. To each their own.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Aug 29, 2014 9:22:07 GMT -5
Correct terminology for body parts? Something like Ooh baby....please put that penis in my vagina.... I don't need an anatomy lesson while I'm reading my smut! I don't know, maybe not correct terminology but I've gotten more "graphic" descriptions out of a Harelquin romance novel than I did this book.
Then there is a werewolf trilogy I am into that isn't smut but does have A LOT of sex and it's graphic. It's a British author and apparently they have a lot less issues with the "c" word than we Americans do.
There's also Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty trilogy.
So for all the hype I kept hearing about the book I thought I'd get a little more than what she offered. I honestly felt like I was reading sex scenes written by someone who has never actually had sex, let alone the type of sex she was trying to go for in the novels.
I am going to read about sex it better be GOOD sex, otherwise I am skipping the book and going off to create it myself.
I'm not sure what you are considering proper terminology or what using the proper term has to do with good sex. I
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 29, 2014 9:28:25 GMT -5
Well unless I want to get banned I can't exactly say the words I thought I'd see in a book that people kept telling me I had to read because it was so risqué/edgy/naughty.
And I thought if not that maybe I'd at least see the actual word "penis". For the descriptions and reviews people gave me of the book I thought I'd see something more than what I got. To me Fifty Shades was extremely vanilla overall. Especially considering the whole theme she was trying to go for in the book. I couldn't suspend belief long enough to get into it because I felt like she was trying to merge three different erotica genres and it just didn't work for me.
If you want actual BDSM, read the Sleeping Beauty trilogy.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 29, 2014 9:30:03 GMT -5
I skipped around and read a few of the sex scenes last night. First one was her tied up and him saying "I am going to f**k you hard" Next scene she is tied up and he is going to f**k her hard ETA: And I am not sure what all those emails going back and forth were about. I didn't take the time to read them. I don't know - just couldn't get into it. Not my thing... I need a courtroom drama, someone getting killed, a psycho stalker - something along those lines
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 29, 2014 9:37:37 GMT -5
Not my thing... I need a courtroom drama, someone getting killed, a psycho stalker - something along those lines I would not be surprised if there is a line of erotic books that include, especially on the web. You can find some weird ass stuff on the internet. DH and I are probably on a list somewhere after we got curious when someone at his work place mentioned Japanese anime and the overall subject of this thread.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2014 9:40:00 GMT -5
I skipped around and read a few of the sex scenes last night. First one was her tied up and him saying "I am going to f**k you hard" Next scene she is tied up and he is going to f**k her hard Stop spoiling it for me! I'm number 12 on the waiting list at the library.
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nutty
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Post by nutty on Aug 29, 2014 9:41:45 GMT -5
I refuse to read it, how erotic is it?
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 29, 2014 9:46:04 GMT -5
I am just shocked at the number of women who find Christian Grey's character even remotely appealing. I also can't stand weak female characters (which is why I hated Twilight).
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Aug 29, 2014 9:47:22 GMT -5
See reading it, to me it is more about the transformation of Grey from a controlling ass to something more. So of course it would be not that kinky because frankly he's having "vanilla sex" for the first time. Basically it is more the transformation for him from the kinky to the plain. Of course I'm not done with book 3 and so far in book 3 he has gone back to being a more controlling ass than I thought he was in book 2.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 29, 2014 9:54:23 GMT -5
See reading it, to me it is more about the transformation of Grey from a controlling ass to something more.
You mean there is a plot in there somewhere?
Probably a good chunk of my distaste stems from I don't like characters like Anastasia. It's why I couldn't get into Twilight, the Shopaholic series or the majority of books that come under the genre "chic lit".
So couple that with the fact I didn't get into the sex scenes I'm glad I didn't spend money the book, it ended up not being my cup of tea. I've lumped it with the other books I've read that pretty much all I can say is at least now people will stop bugging me about it.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Aug 29, 2014 10:05:28 GMT -5
I don't find most female characters wimpy in chic lit at all. Maybe it is just the hyped stuff and not the actual good stuff. I've never read Twilight and I never will. There is a lot of crap out there. Especially with e-publishing and some people self publishing. But there are plenty of chic lit and romance novels with strong women in them.
I felt like the second book had a direction. So far in the third book, not so much. You can't exactly expect a plot from a romance novel, you KNOW HOW IT IS GOING TO END.
I'm not saying you should go out and read it because it is the best book ever. I think you expected too much from a book that was overhyped.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 29, 2014 10:09:11 GMT -5
I think you expected too much from a book that was overhyped.
Probably. Like I said it's one of those books I lump into the "now people will stop bugging me to read it" category. I have dozens of those books that I've either bought or checked out from the library because enough people talked I got curious.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Aug 29, 2014 10:11:50 GMT -5
Life of PI is my favorite book.
But I prefer my porn in HD.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Aug 29, 2014 10:13:01 GMT -5
Life of Pi wasn't bad but it didn't make it into my "read it over and over again" collection.
I'd also really like the time back I spent reading Wicked and the other books in the series.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Aug 29, 2014 10:17:15 GMT -5
Life of Pi wasn't bad but it didn't make it into my "read it over and over again" collection. I'd also really like the time back I spent reading Wicked and the other books in the series. I wouldn't read Life of Pi over again, either. I prefer reading books like Hitchiker's Guide over and over again.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Aug 29, 2014 10:19:06 GMT -5
Now I am wondering if I should try to read it again. I really do want to at least read the first book due to all the hype. But, I have tried & can barely get into it & I am freaking bored. I don't mind poorly written, I enjoyed Twilight well enough. I enjoy romances even though they are almost always a very cookie cutter story.
But, somehow the way Grey is written I don't find him appealing at all. So this girl is head over heels for this guy & I just don't get it. I guess it just drives me nuts when I can't understand a characters actions. It doesn't have to be what I would do, but I need to understand why a character would act that way. Either he is a poorly written character or she is because I don't get the attraction & it makes the story boring.
I just downloaded it from the library. I will give it one last try. Maybe I never read far enough before.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 29, 2014 10:25:58 GMT -5
Now I am wondering if I should try to read it again. I really do want to at least read the first book due to all the hype. But, I have tried & can barely get into it & I am freaking bored. I don't mind poorly written, I enjoyed Twilight well enough. I enjoy romances even though they are almost always a very cookie cutter story.
But, somehow the way Grey is written I don't find him appealing at all. So this girl is head over heels for this guy & I just don't get it. I guess it just drives me nuts when I can't understand a characters actions. It doesn't have to be what I would do, but I need to understand why a character would act that way. Either he is a poorly written character or she is because I don't get the attraction & it makes the story boring.
I just downloaded it from the library. I will give it one last try. Maybe I never read far enough before. This is EXACTLY how I felt. I found it extremely boring and Christian Grey very unappealing. I ended up skipping around and reading parts here and there and seriously felt like I missed nothing. I read maybe 100 of the 511 pages - it was just the same crap over and over again. I am certainly glad I didn't purchase it and was able to borrow it from my friend. I am not going to bother with the other two books. She can just tell me how this thing ends.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Aug 29, 2014 10:28:53 GMT -5
See I think if you read just book 1, you are going to get the same result. I don't feel like it goes anywhere until book 2. (If you are wanting it to go somewhere).
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justme
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Post by justme on Aug 29, 2014 11:32:36 GMT -5
I skipped around and read a few of the sex scenes last night. First one was her tied up and him saying "I am going to f**k you hard" Next scene she is tied up and he is going to f**k her hard ETA: And I am not sure what all those emails going back and forth were about. I didn't take the time to read them. I don't know - just couldn't get into it. Not my thing... I need a courtroom drama, someone getting killed, a psycho stalker - something along those lines The psycho stalker comes out in book two. And I think bleeds over into 3 but I can't remember when one ended and the other began.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 29, 2014 12:08:53 GMT -5
I skipped around and read a few of the sex scenes last night. First one was her tied up and him saying "I am going to f**k you hard" Next scene she is tied up and he is going to f**k her hard ETA: And I am not sure what all those emails going back and forth were about. I didn't take the time to read them. I don't know - just couldn't get into it. Not my thing... I need a courtroom drama, someone getting killed, a psycho stalker - something along those lines The psycho stalker comes out in book two. And I think bleeds over into 3 but I can't remember when one ended and the other began. I thought that might be the case but my fear is her character is going to take a lot of crap and I will just get even more annoyed.
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justme
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Post by justme on Aug 29, 2014 12:12:06 GMT -5
I think she's strongest when she's dealing with the stalker. Well, gets to be stronger. She starts out with head down and ignore approach, but didn't know he was the stalker then.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 29, 2014 12:13:37 GMT -5
I don't either. In the book club I belong to, I imposed a rule against bodice rippers - or what one member calls 'ashes of love' books.
The only book that might be considered a romance that I ever liked was Jane Eyre, because Jane was such a strong character, and Mr Rochester was a jerk for most of the book.
One of our book club members is a high school English teacher, and she always tries to read whatever the high schoolers are reading. She tried the first 50 Shades book and said not only was it very shallow, it was poorly written from a grammatical standpoint - and she's a huge romance fan, so it wasn't the genre that turned her off. Her opinion was all I needed to know to stay clear of the series.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 29, 2014 12:43:06 GMT -5
And I am still trying to figure out why my friend kept saying this is a love story. I think she was using the wrong terminology (at least IMO). When I think of love stories I think of authors like Nicholas Sparks. I haven't read any of his stuff but have seen the previews of enough films based on his books to get the gist of it. Now that is what I would classify as a love story.
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Aug 29, 2014 14:14:05 GMT -5
I don't either. In the book club I belong to, I imposed a rule against bodice rippers - or what one member calls 'ashes of love' books. The only book that might be considered a romance that I ever liked was Jane Eyre, because Jane was such a strong character, and Mr Rochester was a jerk for most of the book. One of our book club members is a high school English teacher, and she always tries to read whatever the high schoolers are reading. She tried the first 50 Shades book and said not only was it very shallow, it was poorly written from a grammatical standpoint - and she's a huge romance fan, so it wasn't the genre that turned her off. Her opinion was all I needed to know to stay clear of the series. What does "ashes of love" mean? I love bodice rippers that are historical romances, especially Recency period, but prefer certain authors that have a larger story that the romance is a part of. Maybe it is just those authors, but most of them written recently tend to have strong female characters. Usually that is the conflict - the male thinks he wants a docile creature instead. I try reading some YA every so often, like Twilight, to try to help me recommend things to kids, but I really don't care for contemporary settings, and all the teen angst. I recently read Obsidian since I found it free for my kindle. The cover was the best part, sadly. Some of the Steampunk ones are interesting, probably due to my bent towards historical, but not terribly popular with the majority of teens. I am glad I work on book club nights and thus can't join - I would not have enjoyed any of their choices, at all. Then again, sounds like quite a few of them didn't enjoy the choices, either. There are so many different tastes each has. Some love thrillers, some the "cozy mysteries" (book club decided they were too lite), some the inspirational fiction. Those (FIF) really frustrate me because I can't help but judge by the covers. They look like a historical that I'd love, but the 'Christian' message grates on me. Blech. Those definitely have wimpy female characters.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 29, 2014 14:26:41 GMT -5
My friend the English teacher spent her teenage years reading through stacks of those romance stories that have the handsome man and the beautiful maiden on the cover - usually the man isn't wearing a shirt and the woman has big boobs and some kind of flimsy dress on. She had stacks of them sitting around the house, ready to share with her cousins and friends - they all traded grocery sacks of them around all summer.
Her mother, who is almost ninety now, refered to them as 'ashes of love' books, I don't know if that's something she made up or a common phrase from her generation, but my friend the English teacher always refers to those kinds of bodice ripper books that way.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Aug 29, 2014 14:33:49 GMT -5
Her mother, who is almost ninety now, refered to them as 'ashes of love' books, I don't know if that's something she made up or a common phrase from her generation, but my friend the English teacher always refers to those kinds of bodice ripper books that way.
I think that this might be a series of books. I didn't read them, but my sister did and I seem to remember that all the books had the term 'Ashes' in the title. I'll have to ask her next time I talk to her, but I remember that they were VERY popular at the time, all of her friends were reading them and they were passing the books between them.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Aug 29, 2014 14:56:39 GMT -5
So I reread the first chapter to remind myself why I couldn't get into the book. To me Grey presents like a sociopath & I find him unbelievably creepy. I don't get her strange attraction to him. It is a weird dominant/submissive match. Which I suppose is on purpose & leads into the BDSM later in the book. But, I don't find it sexy. I find it creepy. I generally enjoy romances where the woman is feisty & often hates the guy for some reason in the beginning. Not the whole awestruck & unable to complete a sentence when speaking to him thing.
Now I will admit I don't think I've read beyond chapter 3 or so. So maybe the dynamic changes & gets better as she gets to know him. I will actually read the whole book this time & let you know what I think.
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Aug 29, 2014 14:59:41 GMT -5
Ah, so Ashes of Love are probably Harlequin type books from decades ago. We have flats and flats of those types of paperbacks we are hoping to get rid of at the booksale tomorrow. It is funny how the styles change over time; there were some NASCAR ones, western ones, and a bunch of sheikh ones.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 29, 2014 15:13:08 GMT -5
So I reread the first chapter to remind myself why I couldn't get into the book. To me Grey presents like a sociopath & I find him unbelievably creepy. I don't get her strange attraction to him. It is a weird dominant/submissive match. Which I suppose is on purpose & leads into the BDSM later in the book. But, I don't find it sexy. I find it creepy. I generally enjoy romances where the woman is feisty & often hates the guy for some reason in the beginning. Not the whole awestruck & unable to complete a sentence when speaking to him thing. Now I will admit I don't think I've read beyond chapter 3 or so. So maybe the dynamic changes & gets better as she gets to know him. I will actually read the whole book this time & let you know what I think. Same here. We know he is attractive (because the author says that about a thousand times) but there is no other explanation as to her obsession with this man. To me he just came across as a weirdo and if he came into the hardware store where I worked and bought all of that crap I would probably have assumed he was a serial killer and stayed the hell away from him. Sounds like you got about as far in the book as I did. I think I was about 50 pages in before I called it quits. The characters are just too unlikable. Like I said before, I did skip around and read bit more last night but reading a few pages in the middle and the end seemed to sum it up enough for me.
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