Fifty Shades of Grey ... The Torture Continues

I recently read an article in the Guardian that the worst book I have ever read (truly) has been nominated for a National Book Award.

Just what kind of country do I live in that this piece of garbage has been nominated for a literary award?(On second thought, I'm not sure I want to know the answer to that question).

I really am trying not to sound like a snob here. Indeed, I know that I am hardly the authority on what constitutes a good book. I am neither a literary critic nor a published writer, and my love for reading and writing lies primarily in Fantasy. But you know what, I have also read quite a few erotica or 'Romantica' (erotic romance) books. Some of them were really good but most of them were bad.

Just really, really... bad.

Even so, I became a serious reader of books at aged 10. I had always enjoyed reading before then but it became a real love of mine at about that age. So with over 12 years of experience of reading a range of books, having also completed a BA and an MA in English Literature, I think I am well within my rights to be perplexed by the popularity of this book.

Because it is not good. It's not even a little bit good. I'm serious.

Fifty Shades has been nominated for the Popular Fiction of the Year award. I have no doubt that the book is popular but really, in my humble (trying hard to be unbiased) opinion, popularity alone is no reason to hand this tragically bad book an award. Frankly, the fact that it has even been nominated irritates me.

It is not simply the fact that the book is poorly written, that the characters are annoyingly one-dimensional (see my last post for my thoughts on Anna 'the annoying'), or even that the plot is so bad I want to scream (oh, wait, I did that already!) It is that this book, in my opinion, promotes sexual shaming so much so that I find it incredible it has had the success that it has.

I find it truly repulsive that EL James thinks it is ok to write a book (or a trilogy) that portrays sadomasochism (and she does a poor job of even doing that properly in the first place), as some kind of sexual abnormality brought about by sexual abuse.

This is, of course, the primary reason for Christian Grey's sexual antics in the bedroom. Seriously? No, seriously?

I do not claim to be an expert on sadomasochism, nor do I know much about the effects sexual abuse can have on the many survivors in the world. It may just be that a lot of survivors find that sadomasochism is enjoyable for them. I do not know.

And what about those who indulge in sadomasochistic practices who have had no such abuse in their lives?

Here is my problem, Christian Grey's excuse, and yes it is an excuse, for his sexual behaviour is put down to the abuse he suffered in his past. Anna demands, and eventually, shames him into admitting this and I find this to be a fundamental flaw in a book that is so popular amongst readers these days. Why? Because it sends out the wrong message to these readers.

First of all, survivors of abuse do not need to be shamed in any way, I don't care how many books you have sold. Secondly, those who partake in sadomasochistic practice also do not need to feel as though they are somehow sexually abnormal. It is an expression of sexuality that many people enjoy without having such negativity attached to it.* What right does James have to project such ignorance? Absolutely none.

Once again, I am perfectly aware that the book has been nominated in the Popular Fiction Book of the Year category and is supposed to recognise a book that has "exceeded expectations" and has had a big impact in literature. I am not denying that Fifty Shades qualifies on both counts.

What I find repugnant is that this book, which, for all its appearance of exploring and celebrating sexuality, is essentially telling us that there is a right way to be sexual and a wrong way. (And James seems to try and achieve this through torture because, quite frankly, reading an entire book through Anna's point-of-view was sheer torture for me!)

If lecturing on the right and wrong ways of sexuality through shaming is the impact the National Book Award wants to celebrate then this is a very sad time indeed. All I can say is EL James can stay out of my bedroom. Fingers crossed that she does not decide to write another book...EVER!

*My final dissertation for my MA included my arguments that sadomasochism is a legitimate form of sexual expression.