Fifty Shades - "We Deserve Better"

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Blossom

My husband thinks reading fiction is a waste of time. He rather watch his Bonanza and TV land reruns.

So watching fiction is OK by reading fiction is not?

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

Often, that "something" is getting a good seat on the bandwagon. Though, it must be said that there have been perfectly good books that were not accepted by publishers, due to a perceived lack of a market; then, when someone else's book made it big, the publishers, in their scramble to make that bandwagon, remembered the book they passed on not long ago... and made some quick phone calls.

How many vampire and zombie books sat around, waiting for the recent resurgence of those genres to be picked up the second time around? I'd bet the number is huge.

Yes, it seems to me that a lot of these books that turn into such massive sellers (I won't be specific to avoid arguments from fans of any particular book) at some point become a cultural phenomenon and this really drives sales into the stratosphere. The “it's what everyone is reading and talking about, haven't you read it?” effect.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So watching fiction is OK by reading fiction is not?

Yeah to him it is. We got in a little discussion last week over my reading habits. He's a rather watch the movie than read the book type of guy.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Yeah to him it is. We got in a little discussion last week over my reading habits. He's a rather watch the movie than read the book type of guy.

Using Harry Potter as an example, there is a lot more to the books then the movies. I thought that part 2 of the last movie was awful. It just left out way too much and changed the flavor of the two endings (the big battle and the ending after that).

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Using Harry Potter as an example, there is a lot more to the books then the movies. I thought that part 2 of the last movie was awful. It just left out way too much and changed the flavor of the two endings (the big battle and the ending after that).

I thought the movies were okay but I love the books more.
It will be interesting to see how the heck they make 50 Shades into a movie.

I rented One For the Money and plan to watch it this weekend with hubby. Stephanie Plum is my hero.

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So watching fiction is OK by reading fiction is not?

My husband is the same way. I can't get him to read any fiction. He doesn't see the point of it. He reads all non-fiction.

[rdfry]

It is too bad that there are a lot of people who don't know the pleasure of reading. There are a lot of great movies and tv shows that have come from books, but there is just not enough time in video to cover all of the nuances that a book has to offer. A book exercises your mind and takes you places that you just can't go to through video. Fiction allows your mind to imagine everything and non fiction educates you about history and current events. I find both invaluable.

[NickyWithNook]

I swore I wouldn't read it because it would be unlikely I'd like Twilight fanfiction, but after a trillion people told me how wonderful it was I borrowed it from the library. I read the first few pages and it seemed poorly written and poorly edited. The author in an odd place described the main character's father in a way that felt disjointed to me, and then just a little further in the book, the main character described her father to the guy in it. Why twice? That drove me absolutely crazy and I had to stop reading.

[applesauce]

The amount of my friends now reading and loving this. I keep telling them I need to unfriend them for such bad taste hehehehe

applesauce

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by applesauce

The amount of my friends now reading and loving this. I keep telling them I need to unfriend them for such bad taste hehehehe

applesauce

[Nahgem]

So, I need to change my vote, because my curiosity got the better of me. So far, (120 pages or so in) it's even more poorly written than the books that inspired it, and the relationship between the main characters is even more dysfunctional (and potentially abusive) than in their original incarnation. It's really obvious that the author had Kristen Stewart firmly in mind as Bella/Ana what with the constant lip biting, so now I can't wait to see who they'll cast in the film version. Also, the author abuses the word "gasp" nearly as much as Meyer abuses the word "chagrin."

I'll probably keep reading because I tend to be fascinated by train wrecks, but there are much better erotic novels out there. There's much better erotic fanfiction out there. Hell, I've read non-erotic romances with better sex scenes that the ones I've encountered so far.

[dawnwb]

Ok here goes, firstly im new to this forum so hello to you all!
I have read all your comments with great interest and its obvious most of you have read lots of great books.
I read all the 50 shades books after my friend, who does read a lot, told me to read them.
I really enjoyed them, I did find myself skipping past the sex parts as I got further in to the books, its true they are repetitive and the repeated phrases like "oh my" got on my nerves quite a bit, also Ana came across as immature and naive but then i guess quite a few girls Ana's age are just that. I'm 42 and obviously wouldn't put up with the likes of Christian without pulling him down a peg or two!
However I did enjoy the books and I said to my friend they are like twilight, I had no idea that 50 shades was based on Twilight and my friend had never read Twilight, so we didn't read the books because of Twilight (which by the way I also enjoyed)
I do love reading and I got my Kindle for my birthday in april, sometimes I love an easy read, which is what these are, I didn't really think deeply about them, they didn't provoke any deep thoughts really. I haven't read any erotica before, other than the occasional sex scene in a romance, I think this is where the success has come from, its all about sex all the way through, a lot of people just read what is on the shelf or what their friends read and to be honest in my circle of friends its not erotica but now I think there maybe a bit more erotica going around my friends who have read 50 shades. I may be sounding naive myself now, having not read any erotica before but on my kindle I can read what I like without anyone ever knowing what I am reading! Maybe that's another reason for the success? Reading on an e reader gives you the chance to read what ever "rubbish" you like without anyone ever knowing! ;-)

[voracious71]

I won't be reading them, and I'm female. I don't care for romance novels either. I like sci-fi, horror, historical fiction...well, pretty much anything except for romance novels.

Erotica is OK except for the fact that some think it's somehow less of an embarrassment than porn. But, of course it is porn, just with letters instead of pictures. If I'm going to enjoy porn, I don't need a silly "story" in the way..

[dawnwb]

Originally Posted by voracious71

I won't be reading them, and I'm female. I don't care for romance novels either. I like sci-fi, horror, historical fiction...well, pretty much anything except for romance novels.

Erotica is OK except for the fact that some think it's somehow less of an embarrassment than porn. But, of course it is porn, just with letters instead of pictures. If I'm going to enjoy porn, I don't need a silly "story" in the way..

I love horror myself also and don't normally go for a romance, my friend who never reads romance told me to read them.....I will read just about anything really
As for watching porn....naaa...not my thing at all, reading it however leaves a lot more to the imagination, I find the actors in porn films really fake...someone suggested I read J R Ward books, anyone read any of those?

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by voracious71

Erotica is OK except for the fact that some think it's somehow less of an embarrassment than porn. But, of course it is porn, just with letters instead of pictures. If I'm going to enjoy porn, I don't need a silly "story" in the way..

I know it sounds odd but some of us prefer text and story with all the sexytime stuff.