FIFTY SHADES OF SMUT

I just finished reading 'Fifty Shades of Gray' which would have been more appropriately entitled 'Fifty Shades of Smut' - hard-core sex. Didn't know what to expect from this novel, didn't read any reviews before reading it (should have), knew absolutely nothing about it.  Just knew it was a mega best-seller.

First, I'll say that I don't see how this book can be adapted to a film, as it supposedly is in the process of being, without it being labeled porno - XXX rated, as boring as porno can be. Second, I can't imagine a legitimate cast of top actors offering their services in this film. Porno stars, maybe, if it will be portrayed same as the novel. However I don't see much left to film if the sex scenes are eliminated.  It would be a 30-minute movie at the most, without all those pages of repetitive BDSM (see Wikipedia as Gray sez).

Third, the premise bothers me somewhat ... a young 20s, alluring, handsome billionaire deep into BDSM with signs of dark dark emotional damage entices a young 20s, innocent, virgin college graduate into his world of submission and dominance.  Not believable! Juvenile to say the least.

I must say the author (or conglomerate of authors) writes in a way that holds the reader at the beginning, sort of keeps you wanting to read against your better judgement to see which one wins, if anybody does win.  But it's hard to continue reading through the same ol' sex scenes as the story unfolds, it really is. I found myself skimming quite a bit. And I certainly would never recommend this novel to any of my friends or family.

I'm surprised that Kathy Lee and Hoda are so gun-ho about it, as they were today on their TV show.  It's the hype that surrounds the book that is making it a best-seller, in my opinion, and it's the first one in the trilogy.  I am curious about what happens to the young couple, but I don't want to read all that SM.  I suppose I could skim through the next two books, for I'm sure it will be more of the same. But then, it really isn't all that important to me. Why would I bother?  I'd rather not waste my time, I'd rather read some good books.

What happens is, this first book of the trilogy ends on a note that requires the reader to buy the next book and then the next to see what happens.  It probably was one huge book and the publisher split it into three books to increase revenue.

Now I don't have a problem with serial formats at all, if it was intended to be, I write my romantic suspense novels that way (so far five of them with a continued story of the character Rachel O'Neill), as do other authors, using the same primary character going from one adventure to another in each novel.  Don't have a problem with that at all.

But this 'Fifty Shades of Gray' is something else.  It seems now we're into exploiting painful, cruel sex instead of lovemaking in romantic bestsellers.   The last group of mega-sellers were vampire novels. Before that it was Harry Potter.  Amazing, the rapid progression, isn't it?

A bunch of sick puppies, if you ask me.