Finally! After what feels like an eternity, I have finished reading E.L. James' popular erotica novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. I cannot say I was impressed. Maybe it has something to do with my own preferences. I think not. More than likely it has something to do with the other books I have been reading, or finished reading, lately. Two of those books were The Other Wes Moore and Nickel and Dimed. Some of the others I've started and finished while reading James' book include The Great Gatsby and The Bell Jar. I've also been reading Stephen King's Under the Dome, which I haven't finished, but that's not because of a severe lack of interest; no, it's just a damn big book.James' novel suffers from a very serious flaw: It's boring. To be fair, I did think, for a time, that my boredom could be a result of being gay. It's a fair assumption to make until it becomes clear that I've read a lot more about straight sex than gay sex. The world of literature is filled with straight sex. Henry and June, by Anais Nin, comes to mind. As does Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawerence. Both of those books contain quite a bit of sex, and I didn't find either one boring. So it seems that my reaction to Fifty Shades of Grey has nothing to do with sexual orientation.
Then why did my eyelids grow heavier and heavier every time I picked up the book?
First, I believe the biggest culprit is in how James establishes and draws her characters. To be frank, they are just not that interesting. Even Mr. Grey, who is supposed to be this incredibly beautiful man, suffers from a lack of personality. And no, his preference for S & M style sex does not make him interesting. Nor, really, does he become interesting through how he was introduced to sex, courtesy of an older woman (who's name, Mrs. Robinson, produced an eye roll from me every time I read it). Of course, Mr. Grey is also incredibly wealthy, but I think that's only to serve the fantasy element of the plot--that Grey can do pretty much anything he wants--and doesn't really provide any interesting information about Grey. Thankfully, being rich is not a personality trait.
The main character, Anastasia Steele, also suffers from a lack of personality. Oh, James tries very hard to demonstrate just how intelligent and well-read Ms. Steele is, usually by dropping references here and there to other famous works, like Tess of the d'Ubervilles, by Thomas Hardy. Granted, Thomas Hardy is not my favorite writer. I was forced to read Jude the Obscure in college and have recoiled from his name ever since. The fact that Ms. Steele actually loved him didn't exactly make her endearing.
The most egregious reference, a reference which stabbed me in the heart, occurred when James referenced a line from Hamlet, "what dreams may come." She inserted the line arbitrarily, where it had no discernible reference to the original work. Ms. Steele was falling asleep after an especially "hardcore" sexual escapade and the line just popped into her head as she thought of what dreams she might have that night. Since the line from Hamlet has nothing to do with literal dreams but what the soul may see while journeying through that "undiscovered country" that is the afterlife, the line does not fit well within the scene. It's as though James thought, "Oh, that's a nice line, and it's about dreams, so I'll just put it there." It doesn't work.
But, moving on....
References to other works don't create a personality, and Ms. Steele's lack of personality is even more disheartening in that James chose to write the book in first-person. This choice, and a few other similarities, reminded me a lot of another popular novel with a very boring character: Twilight. Like with Bella and Twilight, I found Ms. Steele so uninteresting that it was a chore to finish the book. I pushed my way through the headache inducing writing, through the boring sex scenes, and through all those literary references hoping that something good would come out of the whole experience. Sadly, no. I have absolutely no desire to continue reading the adventures of Steele and Grey. I'd much rather read more from Anais Nin.
Hell, I'd much rather read the latest volume of Boys on Boys, or something like it. At least with those books I'll have something to relate to, even if the writing is mind-bendingly awful. Those books aren't trying to be more; they're a "wham, bam, thank ma'am" kind of affair. And, sometimes, that's all right with me.
I had decided never to read those books just based on the fact that I had been told repeatedly how horribly written they are. Now I will definitely never read these stories I trust your opinions on good books and most importantly well written books. Thanks again for solidifying why I will never ever read these books.
ReplyDeleteI recently realized that I do not have to read bad books that there are millions of books out there and that if I do not like a book or am not interested in it I don't have to read it. This was quite a realization for me and has really improved my reading experiences.
Those are words to live by, Morgan. I was propelled to finish "Fifty Shades of Grey" by shear curiosity and because I kept hoping it would get better, reveal some hint or reason as to why so many people like it.
ReplyDeleteReally, I think its popularity is driven by the "risque" nature of the sex, and because it seems to have given many women permission to read erotica and talk about it in public discourse without feeling shame. For that alone, I will sing its praises, but that's the limit of my fondness for the book.
Sorry that I'm just getting to this - my blogroll adds more than I can read, each day, relentlessly. I'd really like to hear your comparison of the "Grey" books with other famous Erotica, such as Ninn's "Delta of Venus."
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it'll be old hat for you, but if you haven't read "How to Read Literature Like a Professor", I'd suggest it. In it, the author discusses (among other things) the fact that sex is so utterly boring and banal as a serious theme of a novel. I mean, at the end of the day, you can really only say He/She put His/Her (Noun) in His/Her (Noun). All of the rest is purple prose.
Anyhow, great commentary as always. I always look forward to your work. :-)
Thanks, John, and I should thank you for introducing me to Anais Nin, though, I've yet to read "Delta of Venus." It's a book I need to get to one of these days.
ReplyDelete"How to Read Literature Like a Professor" is a book I've heard of, but haven't read. And, yes, the author is quite correct. Unless there's something else to drive the action of a story, sex by itself is an absolute bore as a theme.
For the most part, that is. I don't know. Maybe there is a great "sex as theme" book out there.