50 Shades of Grey...insert smile

Feel the fire, feel my love inside you it's so right 
There's the sound and the smell of love in my mind 
I'm a toy, come and play with me, say the word now 
Wrap your legs around mine and ride me tonight 
I'm a man, I'm a goddess  ....Berlin.."Sex I'm A"


The buzz is really astounding, when most articles written about books is how the industry is struggling to keep up with print, this book is selling out.  Of course I am talking about "50 Shades of Grey".  I hear about it on the news, on TV and yes among almost every woman's gathering I go to.  I downloaded it ...did not know it was a trilogy...also did not realize it was over 400 pages long...and I could not finish it.  I know I am so the minority here but I thought the writing was poor and the story well not my thing and besides the writing distracted me from what should have been the hot parts.  If I am going to read something that is sexy and it is not going to be well written please keep it to 150 pages so I can smile, blush and possibly jot down an idea or two for future use.


I know having said all that this is going to seem contradictory....I think it is great that this book is having the success it is having.  I tend to like my books deep, troubling, well written on topics that are rarely cheerful.  In looking at what most "great literature" is out there the sad seems to beat the happy by a massive margin.  I like books that I wish I could have written and to which I bow to the talent that did.  The Grey books are nothing like that and so what?!! I like my own Sophie Kinsella, Kristin Hanah, Helen Fielding, Sophie Hanah books and I have no delusion about their literary worth while acknowledging their ability to entertain me.  Great books are those that take us to a place we may have been in , may have only thought about, or unleash something in us that we usually have tampered down.  I remember dog eared parts of Jackie Collins when I was in college, when my reading for fun had to be easy and mindless and hotter than my textbooks.  I love the phenomena of the Grey books because it also comes at a time when women's sexuality is being attacked and used as a control tactic.  The success of Grey says that women enjoy porn (cause yes that is what this is), and sorry all you old school 70s feminist you missed the boat on the fact that we do like to look too, and sex as much as men...shudder yet far right ?


While we are it I like art, music, fashion and other frivolous pursuits....like writing this blog, pining and chatting on Facebook.  I admit I love my Apple devices, which for the cult that will probably slam me are best for the beauty than the use (stop it they are fine but am still not sold on how good a business machine it is ...now back away and go download an app). I am not ashamed of this and why should I be???? It is probably one of those places where I have to control the eye roll from my very conservative and very liberal friends.  The very conservative group tries to get me to buy stuff but for the profit or the payout in the after life.  The very liberal tell me how the struggle of the average person does not allow for this so we should be pursuing only our intellect and absolute needs!!! Blah, blah, blah....Nonsense, it is ok to enjoy the pleasure we get from the visual, the audible and define that for ourselves.  Maybe in my perfect world there would be time for whatever it is that makes you relax, smile, learn something or learn nothing.


I applaud the prize worthy great writers, artists, musicians...but equally I applaud those that create entertainment that appeals broadly, for "great" is defined by what we like.  I encourage reading the well written books...but a little shade of grey never hurt anyone (well unless you liked it and signed the agreement for the Red Room).