For weeks, I’ve tried to ignore the chatter. But no matter where I turn, I can’t seem to avoid the literary phenomenon that has become Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James.
My co-workers are reading it…there are references about it on television and in the newspaper. Even Good Morning America isn’t safe from Fifty-itis – after a recent segment about the book, Robin Roberts was seen grinning while flipping through the pages, talking about “Mommy Porn,” while George Stephanopoulos sat next to her looking extremely uncomfortable! I mean, it wasn’t even 8:00 a.m. yet! Spare me.
But I finally took the plunge and added this inconspicuous-looking e-book to my Kindle after hearing rave reviews from a friend. It sat in my queue for a few weeks before I finally started reading the first chapter a few days ago.
Oh my!
I’ve read my share of romance novels over the years but Fifty Shades of Grey is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It is certainly…descriptive…and is probably not a book you’d want to share with your grandmother, but overall I think that it’s all in good fun. And aside from the racy content and romantic clichés, there’s actually a very sweet love story between the main characters.
More importantly, the amazing popularity and social acceptance of this book is starting a conversation about the importance of stress relief and women’s health and wellness. Books like Fifty Shades are a harmless way for some women to escape the pressures of their hectic lives and spend time in an unrealistically glamorous world with a rich, sexy billionaire, traveling in expensive sports cars, private jets and yachts. Not exactly the daily grind for your average working mom!
See what the media is saying about Fifty Shades:
Sleep deprivation, anyone?
I started reading the first Fifty Shades book a few days ago and found myself instantly absorbed in the story. No, it’s not fine literature, but it’s fluffy and fun and hard to put down! So instead of cooking and cleaning this weekend, I found myself in the world of Ana and Christian and their unusual love story. I spent most of Saturday and Sunday involved in the book and didn’t get any housework done, so I had to stay up late folding laundry and ironing my work clothes. I finished “book one” on Sunday night and started the next installment immediately. Because I had to go to work yesterday, I reserved my reading time for after dinner and again found myself staying up late to read. Now I’m in the middle of the third book and haven’t slept more than 5 ½ hours per night since Saturday! Clearly Fifty Shades isn’t good for my health – I’ve been sleep deprived since I clicked on page one of the first book in my Kindle a few days ago.
Oh well…I’d like to continue talking about books, escapism and women’s well-being, but I really have to find out who’s stalking Christian and Ana.
Laters!
