In this way, they say, the book is empowering. Many say that the books have allowed women to talk about and explore sexuality (sexual fantasy, in particular) in a way that they would have been impossible even decades ago. They say the best way to make sure a book is a success is to get it banned, and in the case of Fifty Shades of Grey, all the hate-press from feminists and religious groups has done nothing but make the book, and now movie, infinitely more interesting.
Twilight, James’ inspiration, followed the same formula to huge success, and while James takes it to a disturbing level, she is by no means doing anything particularly new.īad artists borrow, great artists steal, the saying goes. Is it really a surprise people like Fifty Shades of Grey? It fits the time-honored trope: innocent girl falls for troubled man, endures his anti-social behavior out of belief in his ultimate goodness, and eventually teaches him to be a sociable, polite member of society. This is a post about writing, not a model for your romantic relationships. I also want to give credit to those who have serious issues with Fifty Shades of Grey.
#Sam smith only one karaoke free#
So what is it? What’s the appeal? And as writers, can we tap into that appeal with our own writing? 4 Reasons Fifty Shades of Grey is Popularįirst, a caveat: I’m not a woman over thirty, the novel’s main affinity group, and thus I present these observations as theories and interesting discussion points, not an effort to mansplain or shame into appreciation of “real literature.” Feel free to share your own theories or disagree with mine in the comments section (but keep it classy). Of course, Anthony isn’t the books target audience (nor am I), and great writing is not a requisite of good storytelling (again, see Twilight), but it’s interesting that even the author herself was surprised at the popularity of the book. No new reader, however charitable, could open “Fifty Shades of Grey,” browse a few paragraphs, and reasonably conclude that the author was writing in her first language, or even her fourth. Over at the New Yorker today, Anthony Lane says: Let’s get the obvious of the way: It’s not because of the writing. Why do people love Fifty Shades of Grey so much? Since then, the now-titled Fifty Shades of Grey series, has sold over 100 million copies, making it one of the bestselling of all time. In 2012, Random House picked up the series. In 2011 she decided to self-publish the series, which soon built up enough buzz to be talked about by Fox News and other networks. Icedragon published her first novel, Master of the Universe, online, which was loosely based on the Twilight characters.
#Sam smith only one karaoke tv#
In January 2009, a British TV producer and mother-of-two began writing under the pseudonym “Snowqueen’s Icedragon” after being inspired by the Twilight saga (if you’re a regular, you know we have mixed feelings about Twilight).