The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Off Topic => Topic started by: Empress Celestia on May 25, 2014, 10:37:44 AM
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I've just finished reading my girlfriends copy and to my surprise I actually quite enjoyed it! Needless to say I won't go into the plot details here but I just wanted to find out if you enjoyed reading it!
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Hated it. The main character annoys me A LOT. She comes off as a major airhead and she keeps whining.
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Nope, didn't like it. I really hoped I would like it as I think female sexuality deserves to be explored and I'm all for new genres, but it was so badly written and the characters were so unlikeable and bland that I quit somewhere halfway the second book.
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After finishing it, I thought I enjoyed it alot.
I thought the story was gripping, and the 'bits' were very.. detailed.
Though, in reality, I eventually realized what alode of rubbish it actually was!
It put high expectations into real relationships - no man will ever be that 'Mr Grey'.
Sorry, but when people go around start wanting helicopters, you know! Its a little silly!
Also, it taght alot of people about the new relationships that they could 'get into'.
Yes, it could be a pro, rather than a con.. in certian people's relationships, spicing up their lives and whatnot else...
BUT from experiance, alot of people then went out looking for that type of relationship. The 'Mr. Grey-Treat me like a princess-and other things' relationship. Not acutally knowing what the REALITY of everything is. Ended up getting and doing things they hated, then going complaining and whining that this happend, that happened and how awful it was.
Everyone just ended up thinking it was all fun and games, a romantic love-story relationship etc. When in reality- theres alot more to it.
50 Shades exploited the lifestyle I think and made it sound to be nothing like it acutally is.
So a good book, story/plot wise, or if you need ideas to spice up your life.
Bad book, because of its idiot exploitation of the lifestyle and false sense of 'men are only attractive if they are rich billionairs that own their own private jet'.
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Overwhelmingly exploitational, as UnicornCandy says. It is only going to add to relationship problems in the real world because people will come to expect those behaviors and get upset when others don't reciprocate.
Besides... normalizing a "deviant/alternative/fetish" lifestyle by putting it front and centre in the media really then takes away its "thrill", doesn't it? ;)
I mean... in 1882 it was a BIG deal if you saw a woman's bare KNEE - her KNEE! Now we casually chat that she's "stubborn" if you can't get her to perform a sex act within a month of knowing her.
Now these "deep, meaningful expressions of intimacy" that people crave by participating in BDSM relationships are going to lose their value, in a very similar way. And then what's next? Past BDSM you start to wander into some very unusual things that most people don't even begin to think about... What, those are going to be normal in 30 years?
We can't even get the general masses to cherish the simple relationships of parenting and marriage, why is this considered entertainment? :(
Oh and the writing was terrible - I know the author is writing to a general audience, but oh pleeeeeease tell me that "trade paperback readers" are at a reading comprehension higher than Grade 7?
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Not interested.
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I really liked them and have read other adult erotica since then. Keep in mind, I predominately read the series for the smutty bits and because I tend to enjoy books and movies that have a "watching a train wreck" quality about them. (I think I must have a morbid fascination with people's poor decisions like in the show Nip/Tuck and various soap operas, for example.)
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I loved it!
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Won't read it. Will be the first in line to go see the movie on opening day though. (Gee, I wonder why?? :snicker: LOL)
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I'm curious to read it. I mostly read on public transport and I think I would be a little embarrassed to read it on there...need to get a Kindle, ha :)
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I'm curious to read it. I mostly read on public transport and I think I would be a little embarrassed to read it on there...need to get a Kindle, ha :)
No worries, everyone does it.
I'm not interested in the slightest. I'm not much for smut, I'm not into fetishes and I'm pretty sure the characters are based on Twilight characters? Like, it was originally a Twilight "fapfic" posted online. My book-nerd friend told me after she'd read it, so I believe her word.
Which makes it even more uninteresting to me, as I have absolutely zero interest in that series as well. and that would also explain the bland and whiney girl... ;)
But yes, I agree with Squirmy. (and besides, that thing about being stubborn if it takes over a month... that is one thing that grinds my gears! That and the nice guy thing... but that's beside the point, sorry. Just had a discussion about that on FB with some others so it's still fresh in my mind and I made that connectio. sorry!).
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I tried reading it, and I hated it. To my mind, it's a story about an insecure girl that falls for a man based on his success & wealth, doesn't think herself attractive enough for him, lives to fulfill his sexual desires, lets him treat her like crap and supposedly loves every minute of it. It's really just glorifying an abusive relationship, imo.
Smut is fine, if it's done right, but what is erotic about this poor girl that can't say no and just gets used up by a man who thinks he owns the world?
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I started reading it, got bored, skipped to "those bits", laughed, and took it back to the library xD
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I don't enjoy reading these specific kinds of things. Its not my type of genre, to say the least...and it sounds like it contradicts with morals, too.
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While I agree that it is exploitative and smutty and not the most well written I still found enjoyment in it. I actually liked seeing how their relationship developed through the books such as him opening up to her about his childhood and the main character learning about herself. Of course it has plot flaws and I do agree the main character is week and Gray takes advantage of her but if you can read it for the entertainment it is intended to be you might just like it. :)
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I tried reading it, and I hated it. To my mind, it's a story about an insecure girl that falls for a man based on his success & wealth, doesn't think herself attractive enough for him, lives to fulfill his sexual desires, lets him treat her like crap and supposedly loves every minute of it. It's really just glorifying an abusive relationship, imo.
Smut is fine, if it's done right, but what is erotic about this poor girl that can't say no and just gets used up by a man who thinks he owns the world?
This, too.
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I managed to find the whole thing written up online and my God was it boring; there was no point in a plot that poor, should have just skipped to the smutty bits but they were awful too.
I've read enough fanfiction to know how shoddily written that was :P
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While I agree that it is exploitative and smutty and not the most well written I still found enjoyment in it. I actually liked seeing how their relationship developed through the books such as him opening up to her about his childhood and the main character learning about herself. Of course it has plot flaws and I do agree the main character is week and Gray takes advantage of her but if you can read it for the entertainment it is intended to be you might just like it. :)
Well, call me old fashioned, but personally I just don't find exploitation all that entertaining.
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I think Little.fox has very articulately expressed my feelings about this book... and why I am genuinely depressed by how popular this it is.
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Utter drivel. Smutty twilight fanfiction in copyright free clothing.
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While I agree that it is exploitative and smutty and not the most well written I still found enjoyment in it. I actually liked seeing how their relationship developed through the books such as him opening up to her about his childhood and the main character learning about herself. Of course it has plot flaws and I do agree the main character is week and Gray takes advantage of her but if you can read it for the entertainment it is intended to be you might just like it. :)
Well, call me old fashioned, but personally I just don't find exploitation all that entertaining.
I feel the same. How can this be so popular amongst people with female parts?
Maybe you think I'm too 'far', but I find this a perfect example of what is wrong with this society and how we raise males and females.
Idolizing gender-stereotypes.
I might get that this is 1 step up in women becoming more equal, because they are now 'allowed' too publicy like stuff men are watching for ages...
But still... why this, indeed, exploitave relationship? Why such a brainless woman and such an egoistic man as main characters...that again force these gender oles upon us...
Probably because the book would be really short if it was woman with selfrespect... since she would say 'I'm not interested in men who treat me likt this' in the first pages...
Anyway. Why does it AGAIN have to be so... exploitive and like... as a women you aren't allowed certain wants, needs, and fantasie's.
Why not a book about a woman who knows what she wants in life on this topic, and gets the spicy things, without hurting other people? With people who are equally happy with it? It would still have spicy bits... but on a more equal and realistic way...
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I never read it and after many people telling me bits of it I probably won't ever read it. I might just because I like to be well read and know generally the books people are discussing, but it's not for me.
If someone wanted to read a book of "that" nature that is more well written they could find some. I know I have a few on my shelves.
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I still needa read that book... ._. i'm all about "that" scene XD :lol:
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Without going into too much detail -- I have a problem with how the book portrays the community of BDSM. -_-
I personally heavily dislike it. It's not the worst thing ever, though, and I won't think too differently of you if you have read it.
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I had no interest in reading this series but wound up picking up the 3 book set at a thrift store for dirt cheap. I love reading and can go through books I really enjoy quite quickly, however I'm 3-4 chapters in and I have to admit, it's not grabbing my attention like I hoped it would.
I desperately want to believe that it gets better, but from the sounds of others I'm not going to hold my breath :P
I do agree that if you're into erotic literature, there are far better novels out there :)
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I refuse to read it. I'm not a fan of erotica, and I don't like how it paints the BDSM community (I heard a lot about that over on tumblr). There were a lot of red flags in their relationship that were emphasized in a couple posts I read on a blog dedicated to pointing them out, and it honestly infuriates me.
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hilariously bad
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Nope, nope, nope.
Read a few excerpts, and was unimpressed and disgusted.
Of the many thigns that irritate and infuriate me about 50 Shades, is that if people want to read erotic fanfiction there are so many better examples out there than this. Fifty Shades is atrocious and the only reason it gained such popularity was because it came out of the Twilight fandom. It should never have been published for a mass audience. As others have said, the relationship is flawed, the so-called "writing" is just god awful, and finally the portrayal of BDSM is grossly inaccurate and that can and did lead to a lot of people getting into unsafe BDSM relationships.
But yes, if you want good erotic fanfiction, start by browsing Archive of Our Own or a fandom specific kink meme. You're guaranteed to find something better.
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It's really just glorifying an abusive relationship, imo.
That is exactly what I felt when reading it. Gross.
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I'm going to be honest here and say that I don't really get what all of the fuss is about? In my opinion it's a badly written story filled with grammatical errors (aaaargh). The fact that it was spawned from a Twilight fanfiction just irks me because I read it and it's blatantly obvious in many parts. The whole "it's really rapey" complaint I keep hearing about it is so untrue, the majority of the book is about filling out contracts and giving permission and the like- jeez Louise I could keep ranting on and on. And yet, some part of me enjoyed it on some level and is planning on reading the second and third books to see what the outcome is- guess that's my inner Goddess talking XD
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I actually read it secretly when it first came out. My mum was really into the series and she told me I wasn't allowed to read it, and my mum's never said that regarding a book before, so I was a bad girl and read it behind her back :redface:
I thought it was corny and the writing was kind of bland. To each their own of course. But then again I'm the girl who loved New Moon, haha. c:
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Why such a brainless woman and such an egoistic man as main characters...that again force these gender oles upon us...
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....because they are heavily based on the characters of Edward Cullen and Bella swan from Twilight :lol: :lol:
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Why such a brainless woman and such an egoistic man as main characters...that again force these gender oles upon us...
....because they are heavily based on the characters of Edward Cullen and Bella swan from Twilight :lol: :lol:
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Wait you're right!
I forgot it was originally a fanfiction for Twilight!
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I wouldn't read it if it were the last book on the planet.
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I wouldn't read it if it were the last book on the planet.
This. Even though I enjoy Twilight (dodges fakies). I'm not really into romance novels though (except Jane Austen). I did read the synopsis for this and I was SUPER annoyed at the main character. She is pretty much the polar opposite of myself. I don't understand why people call it "mommy p&$n". Ummmm, my idea of the ultimate fantasy is a guy who loves me unconditionally, treats me like a princess (emotionally, not the fancy lifestyle), LISTENS to what I need and cleans the bathroom. And I mean scrubs. (And has a British accent. :lookround: )
I'm 1000% sure I could find a guy who could treat me badly. This doesn't fascinate me. I am 99.9% sure I'll never have the fantasy guy I mentioned above. But the idea of it FASCINATES me. This is why Mr. Darcy has survived for centuries.
None of my close friends like this book. One does like to make her boyfriend read it aloud so she can roll on the floor laughing hysterically.
I do think it's interesting that fan fiction got published and was so popular. But I think most people who read it did so because it was taboo, or the other people are reading it, or to see what everyone was talking about. I seriously don't get it.
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Read it out of pure curiosity and found it horrid. Only going to see the movie because of Jamie Dornan.
I went with my wife and MIL to 50 Shades the Musical, and UM, hilarious. It's a parody.
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I found a free PDF of it somewhere and put it on my phone a few years back as there was no way in hell that I was going to buy the book. I choked down sixteen chapters before just outright giving up. It was extremely bland (yes, even "those" parts) and it all just felt repetitive. My mother's read all three books and can't understand why I didn't enjoy it.
I've read better fanfics. :P
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I am a lover of bad movies, and a friend of mine got me the book for my birthday as a joke. I looked at it as I would look at a film like Sharknado, and I was not disappointed. The only surprise for me was how similar everything was to Twilight. There are a few actual bits of dialog that are copied straight from Twilight. I quick internet search showed me why that was:p
50 Shades is basically Twilight reskinned as a dime store romance novel with a bunch of extra smut thrown in. I have a feeling that the author has never actually done any of the things mentioned in the novel(or at least any of the naughtier things). More than once I went "I don't think human bodies bend like that". The "naughty" bits in the first book were ok, but it got pretty boring as the series went on. I did start to skim through the naughty bits after a while, particularly in the second and third books. It was like a adult movie - 10 minutes of adult stuff for every 1 minute of plot moving scenes. I remember wondering how anybody could get anything done in their days if they spend so many hours naked. Seriously, how did they find the energy to do that every.single.night.(and sometimes multiple times throughout the day)?
The smut wasn't as shocking as I had been led to believe either. It went into a lot more detail than your average romance novel, and it did involve things that weren't in your average romance novel, but I had been hearing people go on and on about how freaky it all was. It was different, but not *that* bad.
All in all I enjoyed it for the same reasons I like bad movies. It was silly, stupid, and had some elements to it that were just plain ridiculous, but I was mostly entertained as I am entertained while watching Sharktopus. It's more a set up for a drinking game than it is a fine piece of literature.
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I liked it. The book is not a masterpiece, not even a well written book in my opinion but I was looking for something easy and quick to read and there it was: it entertained me enough. The thing is that the romance is quite superficial, as well as the characters and it cannot be expected to happen in real life but that's what a book means to me: fiction! ;)
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I never read it, but I did follow a thread on a different forum where someone read it and posted a summary / their reactions to it chapter by chapter. They were probably exaggerating someone for human but wow, it sounded awful.
I read some excerpts online and the writing style was terrible.
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I'm glad to know how others feel about this book. I'm still not going to read it; especially after all these posts.
Read it out of pure curiosity and found it horrid. Only going to see the movie because of Jamie Dornan.
I went with my wife and MIL to 50 Shades the Musical, and UM, hilarious. It's a parody.
I wish we could go to see the movie together!! LOL You'd be the only one in the theatre that would understand why I'd either be drooling, crying, or screaming the entire time (yes, Jamie evokes all those emotions)...
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Read all 3 books in a week and oh my days the grammar is shocking! I skipped most of the smutty stuff as it got repetitive and the word used for 'a ladies private area' made me cringe every time I read it.
I will be seeing the film though :P