There is a point in the story I’m currently working on where two characters have sex. I’d never written a sex scene before, and so as “research” I thought it’d be a good idea to read the E.L. James bestseller, 50 Shades of Grey. I had low expectations, and they were met. Except for the expectation of being aroused at any point.
I picked up the book for $1 from someone’s garage and read it over way too long a period of time. I had intended to hold on to it as reference for this review, but had to abandon it atop a luggage scale in the Qantas check-in section of Adelaide Airport, due to weight restrictions.
I only read the first volume. From talking to people it seems that this is unusual, and most go on to finish the trilogy. Why, I ask them. They don’t know. I’m writing this review under the assumption that you haven’t read any of it, and have no intention to or don’t care about spoilers.
Yes, the book does depict a very unhealthy, abusive relationship. When I reached the rape scene I thought, wow, this is pretty bad, and people still think it’s arousing? Only afterwards did I realize that that’s okay because it’s not a real depiction of a relationship, it is absolutely a fantasy. And fantasies are okay. Remember that lots of people have rape fantasies with no intention of actually experiencing them.
So it’s not a depiction of a real relationship, and that’s partly because it’s not a depiction of real humans or real emotions, either. I’m trying very hard not to criticize the author, because I think I’m of the opinion that we should critique texts for what they are without drawing inferences about the producer’s talent. That said, 50 Shades didn't really have a story arc. There was a point, maybe around ⅔ or ¾ through, where I realized that the story could end suddenly and I wouldn't worry about any of the characters. There was no tension or conflict that needed to be resolved. At any point the story could very easily have wrapped up and been neatly concluded. Usually that would mean it’s a poorly crafted tale, but I’m not so sure. Perhaps it’s actually pretty clever to be able to hold on to such a massive readership without creating the edge-of-seat tension that usually keeps people turning pages and buying sequels. It does it some other way, which, as mentioned above, I've failed to identify.
Another issue I’d like to bring up is a technique which I’m not sure is innovative or clumsy. The story is told through a range of different voices, all fighting amongst each other for page space. Though not actually communicating with each other because that would be too cool. I counted four:
- First person narration. The bulk of the text, this is Anastasia Steele’s Ego narrating the events in present tense. The tense, also, was surprising to me but was probably a stylistic choice to make the sex scenes more immersive.
- Anastasia’s thoughts. These are short statements or sometimes paragraphs in italics representing the protagonist’s immediate thoughts within the story. The exact difference between her italicized thoughts and the rest of her narration is difficult to identify, as the narration is restricted to her point of view and knowledge at that time, just like her character and her character’s thoughts.
- “My Subconscious” and “My Inner Goddess”. Discussed in third person among the usual narration, as if a different character entirely. At first I thought these two identities were the same, but it soon became clear that they were in opposition to each other. The Subconscious apparently represented Anastasia’s insecurities, while her Inner Goddess represented her... Beyonce? The former was cautious and (appropriately) wary of Mr. Grey and the latter was sexy and enthusiastic. Except for one occasion.
I was often confused, not by which of these was speaking at the time, but by their motivations and by the distinction between them. They are, after all, all supposed to be Anastasia Steele. Whether the character suffered a very real dissociative personality disorder or something similar was unclear. I trust this was clarified in the later books.
Three stars out of twenty for 50SoG.
*Ahem*
Now here’s an update on where I’m at. Recently awarded working rights within the US so I’m looking for a job. Published Analysis of Footprints, my satirical critical analysis of the Footprints in the Sand poem. It’s currently for sale on the Kindle store for $1 because that’s the minimum. Soon it’ll be available at almost every other ebook store for free. Still completing my third story titled The Long Line. After this draft gets done I’ll finalize the other thing on the backburner, which I think will be called The Retroact, and release that in paper and ebook. After all those are done I’m thinking I might turn the race theory and emergent storytelling ideas into a cohesive volume, but that’s a pretty long term project.
Peace.
