More on Fifty Shades of Gray

[fangirl_says]

Spoilers!



So, I'm mostly through the second book, and really...bored. It's boring. There is no plot, other than a brief thing where an ex-sub of Christian shows up at Ana's house with a gun. Even that lasts maybe half a page, and was pretty boring. Anything that might even BECOME interesting is resolved quickly so they can go back to having what is, frankly, boring sex.

There's sex -- oh, yes, there's sex; these two are like bunnies. After a couple of semi-kinky tries, they switch exclusively to vanilla. Which is fine, if that's your thing. No problem. But it does begin to get a little repetitive, since they're having sex every two pages.

And even that isn't the problem I have with it; it's the whole YKINOK attitude. We're to believe that Christian is only interested in BDSM because he was abused and abandoned as a child -- well, of course that would do it, right? Because only sick and broken people would be interested in that! Ugh. There was so much promise with this series, and I even liked the writing well enough. I'm not sure what the hell they're going to do with another entire book still to come.

*grumps*

Comments

[gwenknight.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, I'm glad to hear this, because it's EXACTLY my opinion!! The first book started out so promising and then just went south. The sex turned vanilla, the protagonist turned into a gigantic Mary Sue and, like u said, Christian became "cured" of his penchant for D/s because, of course, it was due to his being damaged. The last book is just more of the same. I can't imagine a movie coming out of this that wouldn't bore you to tears.

[fangirlsays.livejournal.com]

I'm so relieved to hear the third book is more of the same -- now I don't have to read it and be bored because I'm hoping SOMETHING will happen, haha! Thank you! :)

You know, I was thinking last night that the second book really reminded me of Twilight. I only read the first book, but IIRC, there's no plot there, either, until the antagonist vampire decides he wants Bella. What plot there in Fifty Shades is is only there -- in the briefest measures -- so Christian and Ana can tell each other how much they love each other, how much they were worried for the other, how they couldn't live if anything happened to the other. And so they can have sex, of course.

And OMG YES A THOUSAND TIMES to Ana becoming a Mary Sue in book 2! She's gorgeous, but she just doesn't understand that, you see! She looks just like Christian's former subs, but she's different because she's SUPER SPECIAL! Her special healing magical womanly depths are all Christian needs to overcome his childhood trauma! She's so special that she can do what 15 years of therapy couldn't!

Geez. I'll just be over here rolling my eyes.

[zillah975]

Gah, how disappointing! I had heard it was a lot of fun, so I'm very glad to see this. Save me the trouble of finding out for myself.

[fangirlsays.livejournal.com]

It was very disappointing! And almost worse, the sex wasn't even hot. And that's just wrong! I'm spoiled by good fanfiction, I admit it, but COME ON. *grumps*

[gwenknight.livejournal.com]

Yes to all. Plus, like you said at first and I meant to comment on, I resent the implication that you can't be into D/s unless you're damaged, as with his childhood trauma. I call bullshit and I have good reason to know. It's not a disease, it's not a mental illness. Geez.

And, I didn't meant to spoil book 3 for you. Maybe you should try it just to say you gave the whole trilogy a whirl. But, you seem to have the same thinking on the whole thing that I did, so.

When I first started book one, I had high hopes and maybe that's why I was *so* disappointed when book two took the turn it did.

Another thing I didn't like was that she wrapped up every single relationship in the book with a pretty, vanilla, happily ever after bow. It ended up being just a sappy rom-com in writing that will probably, sad to say, be box office gold. Sigh.

On that note, there are countless boards and websites consisting of readers' wish list of who should be in said film. I have to admit that, from the very first moment Christian appeared in the book, I got an instant image of Cillian Murphy, and stuck with it. :):) I kept seeing him all dressed up in his suit, reeking of money like he did in Inception. And, those eyes. Most people are going with Pattinson, which I can also see.

[fangirlsays.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, no, I was serious when I said thank you! I don't want to read the last book if it's just more of the same -- I'd much rather go on to something else. :D

Someone should write Shades of Gray fanfiction in which both Ana and Christian give a little bit with regard to their sexual relationship -- sometimes sweetly vanilla, sometimes burning-hot kinky, and they both come to have an appreciation for the other side. That's what I was kind of expecting, and I'm pretty sure I'd like it much better that way. Oh, hey, and why not get crazy and add some plot, while we're dreaming big?! I'm sure nobody would make a movie of it, but it would be a helluva lot more satisfying to me!

[gwenknight.livejournal.com]

Preach, sister! :)