Fifty
Shades of Grey has given me little to analyze, no great plot to praise,
no complex characters to critique. The writing, while technically
adequate, is stylistically deficient, and for readers with any
experience in decent literature, the story is intolerably trite: Smart
but inexperienced girl (Anastasia Steele) meets handsome and
cosmopolitan millionaire (Christian Grey). Despite Anastasia’s deficit
of social standing, Christian is smitten. As the relationship develops,
Ana discovers that Christian’s life has been less than perfect. And it doesn’t
go too far beyond that.
I’m sorry. Is my snobbiness showing? Let me temper it with some genuine praise:
As far as erotica goes, Fifty Shades of Grey is good. Really! While one must concede that the literary competition in that genre is meager, James does a fine job of keeping the sex hot but not lewd. Her lexicon is tasteful, void of porn-style raunch and cutesy references for genitalia, but she doesn’t sound clinical either.
I’m sorry. Is my snobbiness showing? Let me temper it with some genuine praise:
As far as erotica goes, Fifty Shades of Grey is good. Really! While one must concede that the literary competition in that genre is meager, James does a fine job of keeping the sex hot but not lewd. Her lexicon is tasteful, void of porn-style raunch and cutesy references for genitalia, but she doesn’t sound clinical either.
I’ll
moralize for a moment about Christian and Ana’s dominant/submissive
roles. Frankly, the concept of the compulsorily submissive woman
nauseates me, but Ana’s submission is - technically - voluntary. Still,
she’s naive and deeply emotionally invested. She clearly fears
Christian at times and feels stifled in her self expression.
Psychologically, she’s quite entrapped.
Yes, the sex scenes are titillating and ... uh ... educational. You’ll likely take away several useful ideas. But, unfortunately, it gets repetitive. Ana bites her lip and agitates Christian. (A hundred times.) She reaches for his chest and he refuses her. (Over and over. And over.) She swoons when his pants hang on his hips. (Almost every time she sees him.) He revolts when she rolls her eyes. (On practically every page.) Her breath “hitches,” he touches her “sex,” she hears him tear “the foil wrapper,” and she gasps, “Oh, my!” (Ad nauseum.)
Yes, the sex scenes are titillating and ... uh ... educational. You’ll likely take away several useful ideas. But, unfortunately, it gets repetitive. Ana bites her lip and agitates Christian. (A hundred times.) She reaches for his chest and he refuses her. (Over and over. And over.) She swoons when his pants hang on his hips. (Almost every time she sees him.) He revolts when she rolls her eyes. (On practically every page.) Her breath “hitches,” he touches her “sex,” she hears him tear “the foil wrapper,” and she gasps, “Oh, my!” (Ad nauseum.)
 |
| E L James |
While
Ana and Christian’s physical interactions are unquestionably erotic,
they toe the line of battery at times. Fifty Shades of Grey ends with
the question of abuse unresolved, but James left me too apathetic to
continue the series and see how - or if - there’s a healthy conclusion.
Eh... I’ll just wait and watch the movies. Maybe.
