Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby skybird137 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:11 am

I heard a comment from someone that it contained a 'dash' of BDSM.

Almost sounds like a 'dot' instead.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby xtc » Mon Jul 09, 2012 11:34 am

SteveLuis wrote: I didn't read it, just scanned for any bondage mentions.



Is that like Bill Clinton's assertion that he didn't inhale? :wink:
Boxer shorts are cool,
but little speedos rule!

More by the same author: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22729

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby tieup2008 » Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:00 pm

The book could become a subject of conversation for me with a couple of females. Just to find out if they have an interest in bondage.

Seems to be a lot of women reading it I've seen.
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Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby markusthe1st » Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:16 pm

Interesting that only men are responding to this post so far. I know three women who read it - all with varying degrees of BDSM sophistication "under their belts". Their first complaint was that the writing was not really all that good at all, and they expected more in the way of BDSM, especially after the way the book has been marketed.

With that said, it's hitting a cord with a lot of women, but I believe it's because of the way he treats her. Saying stuff like, "if you come up right now, I'm just gonna tie you up and keep you like that for days," really strikes a nerve, especially with women that want their men to be assertive, and not pushovers.

Also, it's an indication as to how far along most women are when it comes to this type of thing. We're in the minority here - it's a great place to hang out, but there's a small percentage of people that play like we do.
Walk the mile first... then have the fun!

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby SamanthaBoundx » Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:36 am

I somehow managed to drag my way through the first book - quite frankly it wasn't worth the time and effort.

The bondage is pretty minimal for a book that the author classes as "bondage erotica". It's clearly been written to be non-threatening and accessible to the mass market - and whilst a lot of people might get off on a bit of spanking and the occasional blindfold, as a true bondage fan I found it tame and tedious.

Besides, the few bondage scenes that actually did have the potential to be remotely interesting were completely overshadowed by how generally abysmal the book is. It barely has a plot (which is impressive for a 500 page book), the characters are one dimensional and for the most part utterly loathesome and the standard of writing seems akin to that of a 15 year old emo girl writing a Twilight fan fiction.

I know a lot of women enjoy it and get off on it and it's one big step towards female sexual liberation or whatever - but it really wasn't my cup of tea. . .

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby SelenaGfan » Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:43 am

I think there should be a story here 50 Bondages of Samantha.Sam could be tied & gagged 50 seperate times and teased with tickling,vibing,and kisses along her sweet body.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby skybird137 » Tue Jul 10, 2012 9:51 am

and the standard of writing seems akin to that of a 15 year old emo girl writing a Twilight fan fiction.


I read somewhere that it was a Twilight fan fiction, originally...

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby SamanthaBoundx » Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:36 am

skybird137 wrote:I read somewhere that it was a Twilight fan fiction, originally...


Really? Wow, that makes a huge amount of sense. It had that same kind of repetitive broodiness that Twilight has :P

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby Reidy » Tue Jul 10, 2012 11:40 am

skybird137 wrote:
and the standard of writing seems akin to that of a 15 year old emo girl writing a Twilight fan fiction.


I read somewhere that it was a Twilight fan fiction, originally...





Pretty sure this was the case. Pretty much every woman in my work place has been reading it, amazed at how 'filthy' it was. Not surprised to see that really it is pretty tame.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby markusthe1st » Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:09 pm

Fan fiction or not, the writer is making boatloads of cash! Maybe taming down a bit isn't such a bad idea ;-)

It is still a good way to gauge whether a woman (or man) has proclivities towards a little bondage roleplay. This book being popular is a wide-open opportunity to ask a potential partner something like, "Have you read 50 Shades? What did you think?"

If they say, "Disgusting - I couldn't finish it," well you know what to do. But if they were intrigued, the door is open.
Walk the mile first... then have the fun!

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby SamanthaBoundx » Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:26 pm

To an extent, I agree with what you're saying. If a woman reads it and isn't totally repulsed, then she probably is up for a bit of kinky fun. But on the other hand, the book is so tame that it's difficult for even the most prudish people to not get a little turned on by it. I mean, who hasn't tried out a blindfold or some fluffy handcuffs in their time just as a matter of course.

I don't think enjoying the book is a sign that the woman will enjoy bondage - more that they're willing to experiment with very light-side-of-kinky stuff. I think you would be disappointed if you expect the women who read it to be lining up, rope and ballgag in hand, waiting to find their new dom. . .

As a little bit of evidence, look at the reaction so far to the book on this website. It's a forum full of bondage fans (most of whom aren't super hardcore BDSM lovers) and I've not heard one person say they were impressed with it. In fact, the general reaction seems to be one of overwhelming disappointment. . .

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby markusthe1st » Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:47 am

So, then they may be disgusted because it wasn't hardcore enough, then ;-)

Point taken. Back to the drawing board, then!
Walk the mile first... then have the fun!

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby sarobah » Wed Jul 11, 2012 3:10 pm

Words, like Nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby sarobah » Wed Jul 11, 2012 5:44 pm

It’s an interesting phenomenon.
This poorly written piece of Twilight fanfic* is being described as “the book that’s changing women’s lives.”
But beyond the bondage and the explicit sex, it’s basically a female submission fantasy.

Take this rather overwrought analysis:
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/ ... 0#46602040
e.g. the commentary at 0.30-0.37 and 1.54-2.15

I guess that if this is all it takes to change women’s lives, then our lives really do need changing!

* I’m not criticizing, just stating facts. As a fan of pulp science fiction, I cannot in all good conscience disrespect the trashy.
Words, like Nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby Tieup1 » Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:00 am

I have not read the book, just read some snippets of it in a daily newspaper. From what I have read on this site, and some reviews in the press, it is not as good as is being made out.
Looks like the hype has taken over on this one !

Lets be honest by the sounds of it, a lot of the stories posted on here, are far more exciting/erotic. :)

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby ManRandomThe » Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:11 pm

A dramatic reading of the book by Gilbert Gottfried:

http://www.jest.com/video/174214/gilbert-gottfried-reads-fifty-shades-of-grey

Obvious language warning.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby sarobah » Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:18 pm

Some random comments:
http://www.jest.com/embed/182677/the-50 ... grey-sical
Tieup1 is right, we here on TUGs could do a lot better.
It’s Story of O for the Twilight generation.
As one reviewer put it, women are reading it, and men are reaping the benefits.
Now “everyone” is talking about the movie. The problem is that in order to reach the same audience as the book’s, the subject matter will have to be drastically watered down... or should that be hosed down? I suspect it will be Sex in the City with leather.
Words, like Nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby Discovery00 » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:00 pm

I found this book incredibly boring and by the end of the book i was reading pretty fast just to finish it. Aside from very tame and unerotic BDSM activites (the author apparently had no first-hand experience of a D/s relationship), the writing is sophmoric and almost laughably bad. Most annoying, the characters were born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, yet speak with a vocabulary that consists of British slang not ever used in any region of the US. Of course, the male protaganist is an amazingly handsome, wealthy male with un-matched sexual skills. Most woman in the US would be happy with just one of those traits in their man. Make the man humble, homely and poor, and see if the book has the same effect. To be bluntly honest, most guys in our lifestyle are closer to the latter three traits, not the former.

This book will serve its purpose of getting repressed, past-the-age-of-child-rearing soccer moms all horned up, but for those of us who live, lived, or completely understand the lifestyle, will find it insulting to the eroticism we hold dear. Judging by sales, American women in the 30's and 40's have a secret, unquenchable fetish.. unfortunately it is a fetish for poor literature.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby skybird137 » Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:38 pm

All these comments make it sound like even my pitiful attempts at stories are better than this tale.

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby Games_Bond » Fri Jul 20, 2012 3:31 am

Not just on this site, but anything I've heard about it seems damning. I was talking to my Auntie about a completely different book and was saying that the subject matter might be "not to her taste". A woman that was walking past us heard the phrase and asked if this was Fifty Shades of Grey we were talking about. I told her it wasn't; she said "Oh well, I was going to say don't bother with it; it's utter rubbish".

So I will not be buying the book, because there is no reason to. I value writing quality and apparently there is none, and I wouldn't buy a book solely for the BDSM even if it was good and the writing was not. That said, given there is no plot (or next to thereof), can anyone tell me what the plot is supposed to be about? Generally speaking, it is unacceptable to write sexually explicit material (even if by our standards, this wasn't) in a novel unless it has a clear relevance to the story as a whole. Any thoughts?

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby SamanthaBoundx » Fri Jul 20, 2012 4:25 am

Games_Bond wrote:
So I will not be buying the book, because there is no reason to. I value writing quality and apparently there is none, and I wouldn't buy a book solely for the BDSM even if it was good and the writing was not. That said, given there is no plot (or next to thereof), can anyone tell me what the plot is supposed to be about? Generally speaking, it is unacceptable to write sexually explicit material (even if by our standards, this wasn't) in a novel unless it has a clear relevance to the story as a whole. Any thoughts?


The "plot" (and I use that term very loosely) in a nutshell is essentially the following - young, virginal college student meets handsome, perverted millionaire and she is hired as his sex slave. I say that's the plot in a nuthsell, but actually what I mean is that is the entire plot as nothing else happens. Throw in a couple of forgettable interjections and scenes that have no relevance at all and you have Fifty Shades Of Grey.

I agree that generally it would be inappropriate for a novel to include ssexual scenes that aren't relevant to the plot line. However, Fifty Shades Of Grey isn't just a normal novel, it is written and marketed as erotic fiction. As a genre, it naturally demands for a lot of smut and not a whole lot else - it's what the audience expects from it. Fifty Shades is essentially written pornography (no matter what fans might try to claim). You would never watch porn and think, "It's just completely unacceptable for there to be all of this sexual content when it isn't even in keeping with the plot line!" - because that's what is expected of it. And Fifty Shades is no different really. . .

Re: Fifty Shades of Grey

Postby skybird137 » Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:35 am

Now my 70+ mother has bought the books 'To see what all of the fuss is about'
Calling Fifty Shades of Grey a Bondage Story is like calling Titanic an Iceberg Movie...

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