Review: Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

You didn't think I left the blogosphere for good, did you? Good, 'cause y'all would be wrong. :) It's been a while since I posted, but I've had a year full of excitement, all sorts of different experiences and keeping a book blog just couldn't fit in it. And how I've missed it! So I'm back now and I hope to catch up with all my favorite bloggers and authors ASAP.

As for one of my recent reads (more reviews coming soon, of course): It's the book on everyone's lips, a book that I think has been making the rounds so much, everyone is sick of it, regardless of whether they've read it or not. It's Fifty Shades of Grey, otherwise known as mommy porn, a feminist's wet dream, a feminist's nightmare, a book that will change your life, a book that shouldn't have happened...

What's important is that it's the best-selling book of all time. Period.

(And if you've read the book, that last word will surely have another layer of meaning for you.)

The Fifty Shades trilogy is a story of one Anastasia Steele, who gets involved with one Christian Grey. It's actually a smorgasboard of every known romance cliche convention known to man. Anastasia is, for one, ridiculously inexperienced - she has never had sex, never masturbated, never thought about sex... Which, for a 21st century twenty-something girl seems highly unlikely, even in the improbable case that she's Amish. Furthermore, Christian Grey is a gorgeous, wealthy businessman who finds Ana's not-so-particular mix of klutziness, innocence and "spunk" (I use the term very loosely) simply irresistible. The thing is, he's into the bondage lifestyle, and wants Ana either as her sub, or not at all. Yet, Ana wants "more," and although she's desperately inept at what exactly this "more" means, she's not ready to give in completely to Grey's desires... Except when she does, because otherwise there would be no book.

Oh, and if you just called Ana Bella, and Christian Edward, you'd be about right, since Fifty started off as Twilight fanfiction. In all fairness, while it's easy to spot certain similarities while reading Fifty, it is its own book entirely.

The truth is, it's a page-turner. While she certainly doesn't come close to such chick lit icons as Sophie Kinsella or Hellen Fielding, E. L. James certainly knows what to sell. And while Anastasia Steele is not a particularly interesting heroine (in fact, she's more of a caricature of a chick lit heroine), the dynamics between her and Grey, both in and out of the bedroom, sometimes border on truly fascinating. I can honestly say that I groaned and rolled my eyes, but finished the book in record time. Take that as you will, but keep in mind that page turners sell, and if that's anything to go by, it's one of the factors of this book's success.

Also, there's the sex. Quite simply, this is erotica, and if you've read erotica before, I'm sure that nothing here  will shock you (although there is one particular scene, hinted at above, that I'm sure is contrary to most erotica submission guidelines). There is sex, and lots of it, and more often than not, it does not serve the story. I say more often than not, because there are certain sex scenes that are crucial to the plot, and when this happens (mainly the loss of Ana's virginity, as well as the very last scene in the novel), they are truly gripping. Also, when the sex scenes serve the story, they escape the trap of being pornographic, which is a slippery slope for James, who tends to write as if her life depended on the next orgasm, of which Ana experiences an extraordinary amount.

All in all, it's a book more interesting to me as a pop culture phenomenon and the fact that it's outselling even Harry-freakin'-Potter means that there is something here that the world wants to read. And whatever you feel about the book, you cannot deny that it's (become) relevant. I just wish it wasn't as terribly written.

RATING: 2/5

Review: Necessary Madness by Lisabet Sarai

"Necessary Madness" is Lisabet Sarai's first gay novel - and one could never guess! An established romance/erotica author, she has written a somewhat paranormal thriller with an abundance of romantic and sexual situations that are sure to get your blood flowing faster.

The protagonist, Kyle, is a homeless man with a curse - he is haunted by visions of future deaths and he is unable to do anything about them. After a particularly intense vision, he ends up in the hospital, where he is interrogated by Rob, a handsome policemen. Rob offers a spare room until Kyle can get back on his feet and it is not soon before they start a passionate relationship. However, Rob's ghosts of the past are threatening to compromise their relationship - as well as a mysterious man from Kyle's visions.

There are two things that should be talked about when it comes to this book. The plot and the sex scenes. Plot-wise, the book is a tight, solid thriller. Although I would have preferred to find about a little more about the antagonist's background, the cast of characters is a solid, interesting bunch. On the other hand, the sex scenes are always explicit and arousing - Sarai knows her way with words and I'm certain veteran erotica readers will enjoy Necessary Madness immensely (on the other hand, less experienced readers are certain to blush throughout). Another thing I loved about the book was that the paranormal element wasn't overused - it is there and crucial to the story, but the two lovers are human.

What I had a minor problem with was the way the plot and the sex were combined. There are fantastic instances where sex itself is a major plot device (the chilling finale is a great example of this). On the other hand, it sometimes feels like filler - as well as the reason for Rob and Kyle's romantic co-dependence. This is a small bone to pick, especially when the sex scenes are written so deliciously. Luckily, there is room to extend the story to a second book and I sincerely hope this will happen.

RATING: 4/5

This book counts towards my GLBT challenge.