Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey

I have been asked several times if I have read Fifty Shades of Grey. The popularity of the trilogy is astounding. We have several copies of each book at the library, all on reserve with queues. For me, the answer is black and white. I won't be reading Fifty Shades because it is pornography. Pornography is not harmless, however popular it may be. It makes it hard for people to maintain healthy relationships and takes something that God created to be enjoyed in a marriage relationship and makes it about objectifying people. The subject headings in NoveList (a database libraries use) include sadomasochism, fetishism and interpersonal conflict. I don't really want to be filling my head with those things.  That said, it is also very poorly written, not surprising as it originated as fan fiction based on the Twilight series' characters. Pornography for women has gone mainstream, so many people are keen to get into it and let everyone know they're into it - a terrible shame in my opinion.

What am I reading? I am enjoying Anita Heiss' Am I Black Enough for You?, Patrick SΓΌskind's Perfume (for book club) and Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.


What are you reading?
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4 comments:

  1. RogerJuly 25, 2012 at 12:10 AM

    I'll be interested to hear what you think of Perfume - it's an unusual book. I'm reading "The Pillars of the Earth" having ignored it for YEARS... and Kristin got us reading Ken Follett and he is easy to buy even in non-English speaking countries! (Mum here, I don't think Dad would read Perfume, though he loves Ken Follett!)

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  2. sarah barnettJuly 25, 2012 at 7:04 PM

    Phew! I was worried for a moment. But of course I needn't have been concerned. I immersed myself in *Bring up the Bodies*, the sequel to *Wolf Hall*. Amazing and disturbing.
    I read *Perfume* a few years ago. I thought it was very clever - the descriptions of smell were quite incredible and evocative but I didn't really connect with it.
    Well whatever I read next it WON'T be 50 shades of grey...

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  3. SonyaJuly 26, 2012 at 6:01 PM

    Hooray! I am so perplexed by the popularity of the series but not so perplexed that I'd ever venture to open the book. I saw a whole trestle table of them on sale at big w the other day, right as you walk into the store.

    I'm reading jonathan franzen's the corrections at the moment :)

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  4. AISLING INNISJuly 28, 2012 at 3:08 PM

    Ken Follet. 'Pillars of The Earth' Slowly due to time limits!!!

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