There were 2 women sitting across from me on the train on Friday morning reading it. One had a disturbing smile and the other was reading kind of aloud (she was whispering the words as she read).

Ok... Because I dont like to take anyones word for anything I downloaded it onto the kindle app of the ipad this morning and have just finished reading it

I now understand how and why some non vanilla friends are offended by it.

It must have been a big disappointment to them that far from bringing non vanilla to mainstream, giving it some acceptance, the book has stereotyped and demonised.... Grey is a deeply damaged sadist...the victim of terrible child abuse, seemingly incapeable of love.... And the portrayal of him preying on the young innocent vulnerable virgin college student... Ughh...

Particularly disturbing is one underlying theme, that the love of a good woman can "change" Grey... Thats akin to suggesting a lesbian needs a good shag to put her straight...

That's one clue that it isn't decent porn - what's the love of a good woman got to do with pornography?!!

Mingers?

The first book maybe. Second and third sort it all out a bit more. My main gripe over the books is not the books themselves, it's the moral majority whittering on about the subject matter as though the writer was some highly qualified psychotherapist producing a paper on screwed up men. She simply wrote a blog like love story for an online Twilight fanzine using the same characters but in a different scenario. As far as I can see there's no 'encouraging' people to behave differently, there's no analysis on what is right or wrong, it's a simple basic Mills & Boon with porn, no more no less.

OMG totally!! The Secret Garden by Nancy Friday, anyone? Anne Rice??
I just started the first book, fearing it would be too tame put me off bothering for so long Have been persuaded by a friend to try it tho. We shall see

It's very tame compared to the Black Lace stuff.

Secret Garden, wow that takes me back a few years! It was one of the top selling titles in the Brighton bookshop I worked in during the 1980s we also had a well-thumbed copy on the staff bookshelf!

Silver Moon, anyone?

I thought the Secret Garden was a child's novel?

It's a different garden.

I haven't seen a page of it. It appeared on my kindle ages ago & Deb denied any knowledge of it. Then her mate admitted sending her it as a wind up.
In her words book one not too bad, just a trashy, more porn Mills & Boon. Book two & three she found a challenge to finish as they couldn't hold her attention

No wonder I struggle then........................................

Brilliant!

I finally gave in yesterday and bought it, just so I could see what all the hype is about.

Verdict so far:

The writing is dire
The plot is thinner than Kate Moss' wrist
There are some hot bits which I enjoyed
There are some sex scenes which left me thinking "WTF?"



All in all, I think it's a case of "The Emperors new clothes". I can't believe it's selling at the rate that it is. I think it's just a sexed up Mills and Boon.
I'll finish this book but won't be bothering with the next two.

I'm a bit stunned at its popularity...

But then The Birdie Song was big in its day... And so were tartan bottomed flares... Doesnt make them any good...

buggerit i added to those sales figures by downloading it ....

(me too)