Ok, so along with every other woman on the planet between the ages of 20-60, I'm reading the E.L. James 'Fifty Shades' trilogy. I've been away from work for a few weeks (again), and the whisperings of 'Mummy Porn' got the better of me, so I downloaded 'Fifty Shades of Grey' onto my Kindle, and plunged in head first.
The more I read, the more I developed a strong feeling that I knew the plot already. The sex scenes were new, but the plot was definately familiar:
'Young, virginal, clumsy woman with self confidence issues, falls blindly in love with a devastatingly handsome man with a secret and troubled past.' It's Twilight! (Don't judge me people, I'm a school librarian..it was research :))
Further investigation (yes, I know I'm sad) proved me right. The 'Fifty Shades' Trilogy was originally written for a 'fan-fiction' website, and initially contained characters names Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. After concerns over the sexual nature of James' writing, she removed the stories from the fan-fiction sites, and re-wrote the books under their current titles.
I've never read anything from the erotic fiction genre before (I live a very sheltered life), but I'm almost embarrassed to admit that did quite enjoy the first book. Possibly because it was a new genre to me, possibly because I was bored, I couldn't truthfully comment, but I finished it in a day. The plot was easy to follow, there were a few interesting words (and ideas) in it, I had nothing better to do, so I wanted to finish the book.
By book two, 'Fifty Shades Darker', I'd kind of become accustomed to/bored by the writing style of James. She tends towards the use of unusual vocabulary, but she uses a word, then uses it again, then again, then again (a bit like Christian does to Ana) until frankly I got fed up of 'Christian's mercurial behaviour' and just wants to hear that he's a moody bugger. It was in this book, the 'break up and life stands still' book (see Twilight again, New Moon by Stephanie Myers), that I found greater pleasure using the 'Dictionary Look Up' option on my Kindle to guess the definitions of some of James' more colourful vocabulary. The sex scenes had ceased to be titilation and became predictable; he put his finger there, she quivered with excitement...blah de blah! Still, I'd started so I finished (a bit like Ana...every time...as if!)
Book three. Fifty Shades Freed. Thank god it's the last one.
I'm sorry ladies, but I've about given up. My relationship with 'Fifty Shades' has passed through the 'can't get enough' phase, through 'yeah, it's still quite good, if a little predictable' to 'what should I do, read or decorate the ceiling...' I think I'm over it!
And now that it's over, I'm starting to wonder what it was that has made it (and Twilight) such a success, and I'm beginning to realise I'm not very comfortable with my thoughts.
Think about Mr Darcy and Mr Rochester. Think about the time period that these books were written. Think about the assumed subservience of their women. Then think about women in 2012. We're different, aren't we? Our fore-sisters burned their bras and threw themselves in front of race horses. We are equal to our men. That is what we wanted and that is what we have...kind of. But, if books like 'Fifty Shades' and 'Twilight' are speaking to the thoughts and desires of women to be subservient to men, what does this mean? Is this what we want? To be dominated? Or is it simply escapism. Is it acceptable to be subservient at times, and expect equality at others? (No wonder men don't understand us!) The fact that both authors are women, and both series have been hugely successful amongst audiences of mostly women must say something.
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