There’s been a lot of talk about BDSM fiction lately. Mostly it’s because of the novel 50 Shades of Grey. This story has become a bit of phenomenon and been the topic of many a conversation for a few reasons. I’ve been asked a few times, by different readers and writers if I had read it (or them, as it’s a trilogy) and what my thoughts are. I had to really think about if I wanted to talk about it, and if I did, what my thoughts were. I tend to be a like it, love it, or ‘meh’ type of reader. I don’t usually have a lot to say other than that unless I’m critiquing for someone, then I get really picky. I don’t want to be that picky with this story because that’s not my place. I purchased it to read, as a reader, not as a writer or editor.
However, I do have opinions and I’ve decided to share them on here.
I’ve read the first 2 books in this trilogy. 50 Shades of Grey, and 50 Shades Darker. I admit the only reason I bought the second one was the first ended in such a huge cliffhanger and I’m incapable of letting a cliffhanger hang. I wouldn’t have gone for the second if it hadn’t ended that way. Why do I feel that way? Read on…
Is 50 Shades of Grey the best written book out there? Not even close, but I’ve read worse (and some of those have been from traditional publishers). Is it the most original story out there? No, but originality doesn’t always equal great storytelling. Do I think it’s a BDSM story? Not even close, even though it claims to be, I don’t see it that way, but that’s me.
My impression was this author might’ve done some perfunctory research on BDSM, but she has no true understanding of the lifestyle or it’s practices, and does a very bad job of incorporating any type of BDSm into the story. That’s just my opinion.
Now, when it comes to BDSM in fiction, people need to understand when they buy a book that says it’s BDSM, that not all are the same, or will even feature the same elements of the lifestyle. Just like not all paranormal romances have Vampires, or Werewolves, some have psychics, some have witches or fey. The big difference here is that when If you buy a paranormal a romance you usually have abetter idea of what you’re getting buy reading the blurb. With BDSM, it can be a bit harder to discern that way because many of the differences within the genre can be subtle.
I’ve not read the Twilight books, but have seen the movies, and while I didn’t see the parallels when I first read 50 Shades, after I’d heard that it had it’s start in fan fiction, I could see the similarities. BUT, the big thing people seem to keep forgetting is that there are a TON of books out there that share similar tropes. How many urban fantasy series are out there that have a Vampire Hunter falling in love/lust with a Vampire?(LKH’s Anita Blake, Jeanine Frost’s Cat Crawfield) How many stories (books & moves) are there out there where people are thrown together in a semi-controlled setting and pitted against each other while society watches it as entertainment? (Battle Royale, Death Race, The Condemned The Hunger Games)
Just because a plot, or story idea is similar does not mean the story is. As an author I try to come up with new angles to tell stories all the time, but I also know what really makes a story special are the character themselves, and the way *I* tell their story.
I don’t think people are truly upset about the similarities in the ‘plot’ but in what can easily be perceived as someone riding someone elses coat-tails of success. Here’s the thing though, even if it started out as fanfiction, and even if the author did use that start as a springboard for promotion/sales/or whatever, she still wrote 50 Shades. She sat down and wrote a novel (then wrote 2 more) and that is work. Nobody can take that way from her whether they think it’s good work or not.
My final say about 50 Shades of Grey is that it’s different, and that kept my attention for a while. The way the author made her sub-conscious and her inner goddess almost like characters did get a bit tiresome and overused, but for a while it was quite fun. If I was her editor or cp I’d definitely have had her pull back on that a bit. Lastly, I didn’t like the way it used/portrayed BDSM because it was inconsistent within the story. However, it was entertaining when I didn’t examine it too closely, and I like that it’s exposed erotic fiction to many readers who otherwise would never look at an erotic story, and hope that now those readers will start to explore our genre more.
50 Shades & BDSM fiction
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Thank you so much for posting this. I agree, wholeheartedly. Fanfiction or not, she worked hard on these books, and I enjoyed the stories. I don’t see it any more similar to Twilight than the examples you used above. Probably less so.
Hi Sasha,
I’m confused as to whether or not there was an actual claim that the book was a BDSM story as I couldn’t find one, although I do think there were some elements of it in the series.
I’m not a critic of books … like you, I either like it, love it or I don’t. In this case, I absolutely loved these books, and I know I’ll read them again. When I love a book, it’s because there was something in the way the writer put the story together that created a spark for me, something I connected with, and I may not always know what it was. In looking at your sidebar, I see quite a number of your books that I’ve read that I feel the same way about, although I can’t always pinpoint what it is that makes me love them. I just do.
As far as the comparison between these books and Twilight, I wasn’t aware when I read them that they originated from fan fiction, and I don’t care now. I didn’t see it when I was reading them, so I won’t go looking for similarities after the fact.
I think it’s unfortunate that there was so much controversial press when someone discovered them (months after they were published), and I know that a great number of people were put off by it and said that after what they’d heard and read they had no interest in reading them.
In any event, I would highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys erotic romance, or is open to giving it a try. Thanks so much for sharing your comments with your readers.
Laters, baby. 😉
Thanks for commenting, Erin. (and agreeing 😉 )
Pauline, I’m not sure if the author ever officially claimed it was a BDSM story, but the intent was definitely there since Christian proclaimed himself a Dominant, and told Ana he wanted her to ‘surrender yourself to me in all things’. He has a playroom and offered her a contract (although there was no real negotiation). Whether the author officially claims it as a BDSM novel, it’s been categorized as one by many readers and reviewers because his being a Dominant, and the characters struggles with this cause most of the conflict makes it a BDSM story…which I guess just clarified something for ME> I said I didn’t think of it as a BDSM story…but by my own words here, it really is. It’s just not what I would call an accurate BDSM story, due to it’s lack of consistency.
By lack of consistency I mean Christian proclaiming himself a Dominant, and having all the accoutrements, yet not behaving in a consistent way in the relationship.
I agree 100% that more times than not what makes me love a story is just that magic elusive indefinable something. And while I enjoyed the first book enough to buy the second, and read it all the way through, I did not buy the third because by the end of the 2nd, it was starting to drag for me.
All that said, I’ve read reviews of my own work where readers/reviewers have ripped it apart, and said mean things and pretty much every writer I know has as well.
I don’t the controversy is unfortunate. LOL I think it’s a shitload of free promotion, and is helping to sell her books, so if I was her I’d do my best to shrug it all off, concentrate on the next project, and laugh my way to the bank.
You’re absolutely right about the controversy Sasha, it certainly got the word out there! When I read the first book almost nothing had been said, and I felt like hanging on tight to it as if it were own little personal discovery, lol.
I gave some more thought to what you said about the BDSM aspects of the book. Is it possible that the inconsistencies were because Christian’s role as a Dominant broke down when a) Ana was so uncomfortable with the idea of complete surrender to him, and b) he kept losing control as his feelings for her developed? I seem to recall that it was said that he was a successful Dominant with his former play partners. Even though I’ve done a lot of reading about BDSM, I’m not in the lifestyle, so I could be way off base about that.
Hi Sasha, thanks for the wonderful blog post. When I first heard about 50 Shades of Grey I didn’t think anything about it, but then a few weeks later the media picked it up and everyone was talking about it. I have not read the books yet, I am thinking about reading them. It will be hard for me to put my inner critic away for the books, only because I used Amazon’s read inside and found several glaring errors that pulled me right out of the book.
But based on things I’m hearing, I’m going to try and keep my critic quiet, many say Ana’s journey is what the story is all about.
Hi Sasha,
In all honesty I could not read this book all the way through. I just couldn’t get past the “youthful” thoughts and conversations. It felt like a YA novel to me and I stopped reading those books years ago. Besides after reading up through page 48, there was still nothing BDSM about the story. I was advised that the D/s aspects were toward the middle and end of the book and I had to ready further to see it. For me, Dominance and submission starts at the beginning. It’s in the little things you do together which builds the foundation of the relationship.
It’s a little hard for me to be impartial when a book claims to be BDSM and there is no true D/s in it or aspects of BDSM are misrepresented because I’m a BDSM Educator & Clinical Sexologist. I provide education on BDSM to law enforcement, medical providers, and the general public in hopes of eradicating the misconceptions and erroneous information that Hollywood and uneducated authors perpetuate about this highly controversial Lifestyle.
I’d never purposely bad mouth an author. It takes hard work and determination to write a book. However I would hope that if an author dabbles in an alternative lifestyle that’s not their own, they’d do their research!
Live with passion,
Dr. Charley Ferrer
Author: BDSM The Naked Truth & BDSM for Writers
Marie, if you have an inner critic it’ll be hard to keep her quiet.
Dr.Charley, It doesn’t surprise me that you couldn’t finish it.
I actually think I was lucky in reading this book before I’d ever read any reviews or heard anything about it, because for me it was more of an experiment to see what was out there in the genre. I went into it with no expectations.
50 shades of grey about sums it up for me, I’m afraid. Dull repetitive and entirely without credibility. The participants seem to be simply using every sex toy, strap-on, dildo, handcuff and cliched BDSM scenario that the writer could think of. Very grey indeed.
I like my sex personal, up close and with some emotion. This story just didn’t provide any of that for me.