Shelf Life is a weekly book column where our staff reviews new releases, buzzed-about novels and personal favorites.
Happy Valentine’s Day, MTSU. For our latest edition of Shelf Life, we thought we’d share our thoughts on that sex book everyone over the age over 15 has been raging about, E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey.
It started with my mother. She was obsessed with Fifty Shades of Grey and crushed the series in two weeks. She never reads.
She kept telling me, “Sam, it reminds me so much of you!”
Uhh…okay. Apparently being a journalism student is enough for my mother to reference Ana’s interview with Christian as what my life is actually like. (Which it’s not, by the way, at all.)
So I gave it a shot and tried to read the books, all at Mom’s request. I had already Googled the dirtiest bits and I have to say, I was curious, I was also shocked by what else I found, I didn’t realise there were so many amateur porn websites online, the one I found most let’s say informative was watch my gf, if the movie is going to be anything like the videos on that website it should be x-rated not r rated..
Piqued interest aside, I didn’t make it past the second chapter before I got bored and gave up on the poorly written mommy porn.
But you better bet I’ll be seeing the movie because, come on, Jamie Dornan is hot. I predict it will be like watching a car wreck or a dog walk on it’s hind legs: disastrous, deplorable and just weird enough to keep your eyes from looking away.
– Samantha Hearn // Photo Editor
Fifty Shades of Grey is fanfiction attempting to masquerade as a reputable novel. E.L. James fails miserably at her attempt to make a cohesive plot line, basically writing three screenplays for terribly-directed amateur porn. As far as enjoyable erotica goes, you’d be better off sticking with the stuff you can find on sites like www.watchmygf.xxx instead of engaging in this poorly written mess.
You see, when the idea of a film-adaptation was first mentioned, Sons of Anarchy’s Charlie Hunnam was expected to be Christian Grey. I wasted three weeks of my life reading this book just so I could compare it to the movie.
E.L. James, you owe me those three weeks.
– Maranda Faris // Editor-in-Chief
I had never read a romance novel; it’s not really my thing. I had only heard that Fifty Shades of Grey was porn and smut before I read it.
If you get offended by graphic content in a book about sex you’re being silly. Fifty Shades, though it was admittedly aggressive in nature (with some scenes seeming straight from porn 7), was actually surprisingly well-written and had a lot more of a backstory than what I expected.
Though it far exceeded my expectations, they were really low. I found it interesting and coherent enough to finish the book, but I have no intentions on reading the rest of the series.
– Sarah Taylor // Assistant Lifestyles Editor
Fifty Shades of Grey was a book that people were ashamed of checking out of public libraries. Now, it’s a must read for anyone from teens to adults.
I was first interested in the book because a friend said it was about a college journalists’ love story, but I still didn’t feel like buying the book.
Once I decided I wanted to see the film, I thought it was time to read the book. Although I am not done with the book, I feel as that I know enough to give a fairly decent opinion.
In my opinion it is a poorly written novel, but the details are so vivid that it will entice any reader. However, I think the book is extremely unrealistic and no one should assume what happens in the book is actually what happens in real life. It happens in the videos on tube videos hd, that’s for sure, but as we know they’re often fictional too, so I’d say it is really lacking in realism.
It’s not a traditional love story at all; I’m not sure it’s even a love story, actually.
But, it’s entertaining and some people really enjoy that kind of read. I can see why it’s become so popular and hold the title of an international best-selling novel.
– Chelsea Babin // Staff Writer
Sex. The end.
– Matt Masters // Staff Photographer
For our thoughts on Fifty Shades of Grey’s film adaptation, click here.
For more updates, follow us at www.mtsusidelines.com, on Facebook at MTSU Sidelines and on Twitter/Instagram at @Sidelines_Life.
To contact Lifestyles editor John Connor Coulston, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com
[…] Check out my review of Fifty Shades of Grey here! Also, I put my two cents in on the book over at MTSU Sidelines. […]