Monday 27th August

From Liane Moriarty’s blog – unfortunately she only writes on this about once every nine months.  I had been meaning to write about Fifty Shades of Grey – known to Enid* tellingly, as Fifty Shades of Vom – but Liane** put it so well I had to cut & paste her take on it.

I’ve also been reading a new novel by a first-time author.  It’s called ‘50 Shades of Grey.’  You’ve probably never heard of it, but I do like to support new authors.  It’s selling quite well apparently.

While I read it, I took a few notes. (For my writing.)  It seems that my books need more spanking!  Why didn’t any of you lovely readers tell me that you wanted more spanking?  (Ha.)  I guess you felt too shy to mention it.  Don’t feel shy!  I could have used the heads-up.

Although maybe you realized that I couldn’t write a sexy spanking scene to save my life.  (Well, I don’t know. Perhaps I could to save my life.  Except I’d be quite nervous and distracted by the person trying to kill me, so it might be tricky to get myself in the right frame of mind.)

Anyway, it’s great to see a new author making a bit of a name for herself.  Good on her!

I was very disheartened to hear that Fifty Shades has overtaken Harry Potter as the biggest selling series of books ever ever in the whole wide world.  (Or so they say…not sure about the exact stats…)  Why oh Why???  This trilogy is not the worst thing ever written.  In fact, I got through one and a half of the books before I stopped, bored and cross and faintly repelled.  I have read far worse.  But the writing is so thin, the characterisation so shallow, the plot so improbable… Whereas the Harry Potter series is so imaginatively written, so densely plotted, so fascinating, enjoyable, engrossing, J K Rowlings absolutely deserves her huge success.

For the record, I haven’t yet met anyone who has enjoyed Fifty Shades.  Nicky and Claire read half of the first book and stopped, bored and annoyed.  Katy would never sully her hands with such writing to begin with.  Kate H has struggled to the end of the second book but is full of cynicism and criticism.  Ann-Marie has read fifty pages and is finding it hard to limp any further through the pages.  And so it goes… But lots and LOTS of people must be, as they say, loving it sick. 

Who are these people??

* http://enidbite-em.blogspot.com.au/

** Liane Moriarty is an author who writes books which are just about the polar opposite of Fifty Shades ie they are witty, interesting and light-hearted.  And…about normal people…(Yes I know I know…the only normal people are those we don’t know very well but…more normal than Anastasia and Christian Grey!!!)  I have loved each and everyone one of Liane's novels and strongly recommend them: 

Three Wishes

The Last Anniversary

What Alice Forgot

The Hypnotist’s Love Story