I have a love for books be it memoirs, true stories, to humorous books. I consider myself open-minded when choosing a book. I am also curious as to what people are reading. I went into my favourite bookstore, to collect my online order.
As I was browsing the shelves, I noticed a woman totally engrossed in this book. We did the awkward courtesy nods, and she discreetly tucked the cover of the book away from my view. She smiled after a while and said: “my friend says it’s a must read for women”.
My curiosity got the better of me. I flipped through a few pages, OK!!! I can understand why she tucked the cover away; I assumed she was more on the conservative side, and was curious. At a glance it was rather erotic. If those paragraphs were anything to go by, I can imagine the rest of the book. This book is causing a few raised eyebrows and temperatures as well.
In some quarters, it’s being welcomed as a liberating novel for women; there’s a movie adaptation in the works.
A few book reviewers have labelled it as a “smut” novel, with poor writing but huge eroticism content. Coincidentally, the same night Women 24 were asking readers, what was the raunchiest book people have read. This book was mentioned on the list. Got me thinking of the raunchiest book I read Princess Daisy and Lace; this was back in high school, and we giggled all the way through “the bad parts” as we called it ... crazy curious teens who had no other source of information.
So in order to write this piece, I did not only rely on “Google” for the book reviews. I did a bit of “asking around” about this book. So I tweeted, facebooked and bbm’d my contacts, to find out who had read or was reading the book. Was I surprised with the responses? A few women have professed to reading it, but secretly.
Firstly, how does one read a book secretly? In the bathroom; on your kindle, or with your bedroom door bolted???? My first reaction, if it makes you that blushy and go undercover about it, it must be way beyond the point of being socially acceptable.
Apparently Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L James will make you blush in 50 shades of Red.
Just a useless question here, why do British authors use letters and then their surname, does it create this mystery around their actual names, is it to get our attention? J.K. Rowling? D.H. Lawrence? H.G. Wells?
Anyways, this book has been described as “mommy porn”, what’s with the mommy, call it “porn” and leave it like that! I personally am not into written or visual pornography. HOWEVER, whether I like it or not, pornography exists and it’s a large part of some people’s choices.
I read that the book has a high level of “S&M” Porn; WTH is “S&M” Porn. The type when women are being choked, gagged, hung upside down, whipped, screamed at, and beaten. Also referred to BDSM - combines bondage; discipline dominance, submission and sadism and masochism. It’s difficult for me to imagine this form of degradation and humiliation.
By the responses in my inbox and on the www, about the sadistic nature of the book, I ask how different is this from the violence we denounce daily against women?
THIS IS MY OPINION (emphasis on MY!)
For me when certain acts move into dark territory, where people become overwhelmed with desire and their perversion results in violent acts, that becomes disturbing.
It’s not just about the book being pornographic it’s the bondage, domination, sadism. With all the violence against women and children, we should be trying to free women, not enslave them further to being used as a sexual toy. Some might find the book liberating, to each his/her own. A must read for women; guess this woman won’t be reading this book. Personal choice!
Maybe this floats some peoples’ boats, but really? If pink fluffy handcuffs or a red satin ribbon is your thing then that’s fine, but when one starts crossing a line to promote the domination and subjugation of a woman, I think that is shocking.
I also believe certain intimate details should remain exactly that, intimate and private. What happens in Vegas (bedroom) should stay there. If a couple have an imaginative and healthy sex life, that’s a beautiful thing. Most people will say, you cringing because of your religious beliefs, quite the contrary, if want to hang from the chandelier in your master bedroom, hang away, just make sure you have solid fittings? Want to dress your husband as a navy seal or Spiderman or you as a French maid, whatever “rocks’ your party, as long as it’s your private VIP party.
Once again, I think we should be doing everything to promote true womanhood, with dignity and respect, but that’s just my thoughts. What are yours?
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