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Showing posts from August, 2012

50 Shades of Boring

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The first time I was told to read 50 Shades of Grey , my reaction was one of complete disdain. " I don't read literotica." Literotica and romance novels to me have about as much artistic value as low-rent porn videos. And I say this as someone who absolutely loved the Hunger Games trilogy, so it's not as if I'm a lit snob. Flash forward a few months. It's the summer. I'm bored. The Game of Thrones books are so heavy . One click later at the Amazon Kindle store, and 50 Shades is on my iPad. And let it never be said that E.L. James is a heavy, dense writer. I finished 50 Shades in a day. I'm slogging through the next two books of the trilogy though. So is the book really worth all the fuss?  Libraries are pulling it from their shelves.   There's a debate about whether it glorifies an abusive relationship.   Hotels replaced Bibles with 50 Shades copies.  And everywhere, in the subways, on the beach, I see women reading it.