The Fan Fiction Thread

[chonies]

I took a friend to the hospital the other day and she lent me her e-book version. Comment the first: I got farther in 50 Shades than I did in the original Twilight. Comment the second: holy fucking shit. There's so much stupid and WTF packed in that it's beyond belief, and the writing is shockingly bad. Not news, but I thought I'd say it out loud.

Christian Grey is a total creep, and an unbelievable, implausible creep, too. And Ana is just a drip.

[Neurochick]

I think there's too much thinking involved when people try to figure out why others like this book. People like what they like. I know loads of women from different backgrounds who love this book. It's a fantasy pure and simple just like Cinderella is a fantasy. No one might want this in real life. I am on the third book and if I was married to Christian we would have it out. I don't mind a little controlling but I do have my limits.

I feel this way, Christian is rich, hot, good in bed,etc. I mean sure he can be a jerk but the books are a nice distraction from the hum drum and sometimes soul killing jobs that some people have to go to every day.

[Freelance Exorcist]

Also, for a book with a gazillion sex scenes, there were very few scenes that I actually thought were even slightly hot.

I agree. I'm actually willing to forgive a good bit of bad writing in exchange for good smut, but the books didn't even have that. I can only contribute the over-the-top success of these books to there being a contract in the Devil's file cabinet signed in EL James' blood.

[Neurochick]

I don't understand why folks can't believe that people might like this book.

Also, the sex scenes become boring and repetitive by the third book.

Still, folks like what they like. That's what makes the world go around.

[chonies]

Jul 29, 2012 20:56:40 GMT -4 Neurochick said:

I don't understand why folks can't believe that people might like this book.

Personally, I marvel at a tremendous amount of individual taste, but I don't think it's out of place to comment on the sheer volume of sales and people reading this seemingly without gawping curiosity or ironic LULZ in mind. Especially since in this thread, no one has even seemed to think it might be a good guilty pleasure, and in similar threads people have discussed what they liked and didn't like about the same work. There are tons of good romance novels or whatever other genre fiction might be interesting.

And finally, I confess to liking all sorts of things plebes like: Cracker Barrel, Starbucks, Sweet Valley High, Target, etc. I can articulate why I might like them. I can understand why people might like things outside my taste preference: McDonalds, Star Wars, WalMart, Twilight, Larry the Cable Guy, etc. But since I found my brief dalliance with 50SOG a torturous example of cliché and an example of how NOT to write, I feel perfectly confident shaking my head and wondering why some people like it. I understand that some people just do, but even with stupid distinctions like smooth or chunky peanut butter, I'm interested in opinions. And not the deep pseudo-Freudian reasons, but just aesthetic reasons.

[Yossarian]

I liked the books while I was reading them in so far as soon as one was finished I downloaded the next - I wanted to know what happened next! But after finishing them ... well, to me, it was kind of like eating McDonalds: I enjoyed it while I was doing it but afterwards I felt kind of nauseous and ashamed of myself.

[Deleted]

Jul 29, 2012 20:56:40 GMT -4 Neurochick said:

I don't understand why folks can't believe that people might like this book.

Also, the sex scenes become boring and repetitive by the third book.

Still, folks like what they like. That's what makes the world go around.

I work in a library. Nine times out of ten, the people who have been anxiously waiting for their name to come up to the top on the holds list have absolutely no idea what the book is about. They heard it was popular and that was it. I don't think there are actually all that many people out there who do like the book.

That being said, it's a shitty book. It's horribly written. If someone tells me they liked it, I am going to wonder why. How is this surprising? If someone was like "man I love eating raccoon turds for breakfast" I would ask "why?" And so if someone says "that Fifty Shades of Grey, what a corker!" I will say "what the fuck is wrong with you."

[Neurochick]

I just say different strokes for different folks. I have stopped wondering why people like what they like. I just really don't get why people who hate the book seem so upset that people like it. I think it's okay but I know that once I finish them, they won't stay with me. I think the reason they are so popular is because they're written like a film, they cut to the chase and don't have a lot of explanation for things. You can skim through these books without having to savor them. When I read "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" books I had to read them slowly. The "50 Shades" book, not so much.

[Deleted]

Who's so upset? I feel like you're putting these serious motives behind what's mostly just people boggling at how a bunch of poorly-written and embarrassing knock-off fanfic became the most popular books in the world. No one's out grabbing their torches.

People can like whatever they want. And I can point and laugh at them for liking it. That seems fair.

[Neurochick]

Very fair.

Anyway, I found a funny website where someone put passages from Master of the Universe next to 50 Shades passages and it's the same fucking words. I never read MOTU because I don't like Twilight, but I think it's hysterical that it's the same book, in fact, some things probably make more sense if Edward/Christian is a vampire.

I've heard that the pdf's of Master of the Universe are still online and THAT I think is funny.

But you're right, to each his own, makes the world a better place.