50 Shades of Grey or 50 Shades of Lame?

E.L James' erotic literature sauntered it's way to number 1 on the UK bestsellers list 2012 back in March.  I know I'm pretty late on commenting on this book, but after finally giving the book a chance I thought I'd put my own thoughts out there.  The novel evolved from the online fad of fan-fic (For those of you who may be slow on the uptake, it generally tends to be sensual fiction about fictional or real people).  And since the boom in popularity with eReaders, women no longer have to feel ashamed of reading novellas such as 'Fifty Shades of Grey' in public!

Christian Grey is a successful, handsome business owner whose sexual desires disables him from having any other form of connection with a woman.  Anastacia Steele, the heroine (if we can call her that) is an inexperienced English Literature Student with big aspirations and a desire for something more.  Basically to cut a long story short they meet, become attracted to each other, and spend the majority of the novel getting down and dirty while Christian Grey waggles his wallet and treats Anastacia to alot more than sexual desires.

The fact that this novel reached the Bestseller's list is mainly due to its gimic rather than for any literary prowess.  I feel as though the author could have maybe done a bit more to keep the readers interest as once you've read one extremely descriptive intimate moment, it does get boring.  I mean come on, how many times can you keep referring back to Christian's bulge? By midway I was ready to put the book down.  However if you can get past the abundance of description and just accept that this novel is more trash than classic, then it does make way for an ok read.  I personally didn't find this to be an amazing novella, it's aim is to shock and in some senses it does.  But I don't see how she could fill out this story to make it into a trilogy, let alone make it's way to number 1 on the Bestsellers list.

5/10

The Book Challenge.

"Read, read, read. Read everything - trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it."- William Faulkner (1897-1962)

Hello there!

As a Literature Student you would probably expect my room to be flooding over with books and a distaste for reading anything other than classics.  On the plus side,  I still have that passion to read even if my room is starting to resemble a second-hand bookshop.  Although I do have 5 or 6 books a week to get through for my classes, I still find time to read anything I can get my nose into.

Whilst my friends are happy to blow their loan on booze, shoes and other pretty things, I have a serious problem with buying books.  Every time I am in a bookshop I end up buying a book or 3.  EVERY...TIME!  Well anyway I'm rambling.  I have noticed that I have a few books (non-uni related) that I need to get my nose into, and so I have decided to set myself a challenge.

The Challenge: Finish the small pile of books that I have been meaning to read in 4 months before I am allowed to buy more.

I have allowed myself 4 months to get through the books that have been on my bookshelf for a very long time before buying any more books. Then that splurge in Waterstones will feel ever so wonderful. 

 The books are as follows:

1. Joseph Conrad- Heart of Darkness
2. Philippa Gregory- The White Queen
3. Charlotte Bronte- Shirley
4. Judy Bloom- Tiger Eyes
5. Suzanne Collins- The Hunger Games
6. Veronica Roth- Divergent
7. Emma Donoghue- Room
8. Julia Williams- Last Christmas
9. Trisha Ashley- Twelve Days of Christmas
10. Trisha Ashley- A Winters Tale

Post a comment if you have any goals yourself and what they are :)

xoxo.