tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post6880038044516872373..comments2024-03-24T08:30:43.258+01:00Comments on FLY HIGH!: FIFTY SHADES OF SHAME - I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT.Maria Graziahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08876779286144473782noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-81667068748493441872012-08-06T04:25:15.973+02:002012-08-06T04:25:15.973+02:00@ Maria Grazia
Thank you, that is good to know :-...@ Maria Grazia<br /><br />Thank you, that is good to know :-) I only became worried because it suddenly occurred to me that discussions about this particular book have had a tendency to generate quite a bit of huffing and puffing elsewhere, and I really would have hated to cause discomfort at your lovely blog.Daniellehttp://romanticarmchairtraveller.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-15858352571748081772012-08-05T22:26:47.955+02:002012-08-05T22:26:47.955+02:00@Danielle
Why? No, not at all, Danielle. I was jus...@Danielle<br />Why? No, not at all, Danielle. I was just happy when I read your thourough long comment :-)<br />Thanks for taking the time to read and leave such an interesting contribution!Maria Graziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08876779286144473782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-25513884060673973262012-08-05T20:04:07.823+02:002012-08-05T20:04:07.823+02:00You being a teacher and reading and enjoying many ...You being a teacher and reading and enjoying many genres are two of the aspects of your blogging that have made Fly High! so interesting for me. If something I wrote upset you, that was the farthest from my intention, and I apologise.Daniellehttp://romanticarmchairtraveller.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-75983454810908393112012-08-05T14:31:23.750+02:002012-08-05T14:31:23.750+02:00@Sam
You're right, Sam! i saw your incredible ...@Sam<br />You're right, Sam! i saw your incredible list of great classics. i'm sure you'll have a great time?Maria Graziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08876779286144473782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-29622673388634939242012-08-05T14:13:27.465+02:002012-08-05T14:13:27.465+02:00I already knew I didn't want to read these boo...I already knew I didn't want to read these books but now I am convinced! There are too many good books in the world to waste my time with these.Sam (Tiny Library)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16375434438465319913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-63003663939516348942012-08-04T22:39:27.955+02:002012-08-04T22:39:27.955+02:00@Vava
Ciao Vava. Thanks for visitin and commentin...@Vava<br />Ciao Vava. Thanks for visitin and commenting. I hope your suitcase will be full of wonderful reads. Enjoy your holidays :-)Maria Graziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08876779286144473782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-63289735637740475272012-08-04T21:46:12.008+02:002012-08-04T21:46:12.008+02:00Oh my! You had me laughing out loud! :-) I really ...Oh my! You had me laughing out loud! :-) I really did enjoy reading this review. I also was wondering if these books were worth all the fuss, but had little curiosity for reading them, and now my doubts are confirmed. I am not at all prudish, but all that I had heard about this trilogy just didn't appeal to me. I was looking for books to take on holiday with me, but these definately will note end up in my suitcase, holy cow! ;-)<br />SilvanaVava, A country dreaming mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05515616816089692865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-26327144185767165952012-08-04T18:16:04.638+02:002012-08-04T18:16:04.638+02:00@Danielle
If you noticed reading my blog/s I read ...@Danielle<br />If you noticed reading my blog/s I read (study, teach, love) literature but I like trying new genres. I often review books which are popular fiction (romance, historical fiction, fan fiction)and that's great fun. I read those books only for pleasure, pure escapism. They aren't all excellent or unforgettable (many of them are very good though!)but none was as badly written as FSOG. <br />My worst disappointments so far have come from best selling books.<br />@A Scattering<br /> "Lust and edgy lust can be well done and keep you turning the pages" . Well put! I agree with you. <br />@Brooke<br />There's nothing amazing, I can assure you, except the selling figures. Unbelievable.<br />@Cat Winchester<br />LOL! Love your Batman and Robin ancdote.<br />@Mrs Higgins<br />I'm glad your daugther liked the 3 books. I was so bored after a while, I couldn't go past 1/4 of the second instalment. There must be someone who liked them out there, otherwise how could this trilogy become such a success? Thanks for finding my review funny. That was exactly my purpose. I had fun writing it :-)Maria Graziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08876779286144473782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-79968233039890358132012-08-04T16:15:47.415+02:002012-08-04T16:15:47.415+02:00I like that quote at the end by Ray Bradbury. I w...I like that quote at the end by Ray Bradbury. I won't read Fifty Shades of Gray, but my 25 year old daughter has read all three books. She defends them to no end and takes it quite personal if you say something against the trilogy. I would rather read all the funny reviews.Mrs. Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14151258556984090179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-145591741903760272012-08-04T11:13:28.012+02:002012-08-04T11:13:28.012+02:00I didn't read this notorious book but judging ...I didn't read this notorious book but judging from the cover which is tacky in my opinion. I suspected that something similar hides between the pages, and you proved this with your excellent, funny and hilarious review, Maria Grazia.auroranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-52532390036709716762012-08-04T03:33:04.769+02:002012-08-04T03:33:04.769+02:00@Maria - I understand and agree with your points c...@Maria - I understand and agree with your points completely, I was just adding another dimension and a personal pet peeve. <br /><br />On your repetitive (the book, not you) comments, my sister finally bought the first one of these books (but hasn't read it yet) and we were discussing it on facebook the other night. I told her that the 'holy' thing was probably the most likley to piss her off, and that the author must have been channelling 1960s Robin when she wrote it. <br /><br />"Holy literature, Batman, look at this awful book!"Cat Winchesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13248231162701133032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-73775927466814874222012-08-04T02:26:00.851+02:002012-08-04T02:26:00.851+02:00I have not read the books and do not plan to. As a...I have not read the books and do not plan to. As a writer, I value quality writing. Therefore, I do not like literature that could be a negative influence on my development.<br />Like others on here, I am wondering what is amazing about it.Brookenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-63542968401119940272012-08-03T23:27:09.955+02:002012-08-03T23:27:09.955+02:00There's no excuse for poor writing and this is...There's no excuse for poor writing and this is poor writing at its zenith. Lust and edgy lust can be well done and keep you turning the pages - I read part of the first book and all I wanted to do was close the cover - I was bored. To each, his or her own.A Scatteringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03071957279379194840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-48699136620849747772012-08-03T23:26:07.342+02:002012-08-03T23:26:07.342+02:00Maria Grazia, you made me laugh out loud because I...Maria Grazia, you made me laugh out loud because I have been so dismayed by the popularity of this trilogy. It felt cathartic to read about your indignation even though I have no plans to ever pick up these books:-)<br /><br />On the other hand, I feel truly sorry for the readers who genuinely enjoyed the book (as opposed to sheep-reading) and who feel defensive about the ridicule directed against them. <br /><br />One blogger whose tastes tend to the distinctly literary even in her romance reading caused me to question my assumptions about the readership of these books when she noted in her blog that she adored the trilogy, giving it five stars out of five. Perhaps she and others like her register a quality in the story that taps directly into a fantasy or longing or a point of curiosity, allowing them a powerful experience that makes the shell – features such as word choice – irrelevant. Doesn’t escapism follows its own rules? In the popular romance genre a premium is placed on the emotional experience, in erotica a successful story will probably include its ability to arouse. Sensory and emotional responses are not necessarily connected with the part of the brain that responds to literary texture or intellectual merit.<br /><br />There are some terribly bad or silly or simply so-not-my-genre films that nevertheless contain one or more elements that speak to me on a level where watching the film becomes surprisingly satisfying or comforting. As a result, my analytical/critical faculties switch off and my own negative feedback does not reach that part of my brain where it would matter.<br /><br />Aren’t books written and read for a variety of reasons, only one of them being to improve minds? Is the ability of books to fulfill a range of other functions less important? I love literary fiction as defined by your Bradbury quote, yet I would be devastated if popular fiction were to disappear, even those books I wish I could erase from my memory or personally think would serve humankind best as fireplace kindling. One never knows which story will be a lifesaver or a door to new worlds, full of beauty and opportunities, for another person. For example, as a child my brother was considered a problem student, lazy and mentally backward and defiant, by his teachers, who complained about him non-stop. At the same time, at home, the only thing he would read were Donald Duck comics. What few people realised until years later was that something in those comics had appealed to the subversive, satirical questioner in him. He went on to become a professor in philosophy!Daniellehttp://romanticarmchairtraveller.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-72854035425013351062012-08-03T22:13:07.803+02:002012-08-03T22:13:07.803+02:00@Ally
Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Ally....@Ally<br />Thanks for dropping by and commenting, Ally. You probably did it while I was answering the first three comments.<br />I don't think I will be able to stand a TV series based on Fifty Shades. That's really too much for me. Talent should be rewarded in mankind not slyness :-/Maria Graziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08876779286144473782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-71176295070240372382012-08-03T21:57:47.749+02:002012-08-03T21:57:47.749+02:00Well @Laura what I found really astonishing was th...Well @Laura what I found really astonishing was that such an awfully written book could have sold so many copies. I have no moral issue with the content. I agree with Oscar Wilde: "There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are either well written or badly written. That is all." It's just that I've read such beautiful books which have sold so much less!<br />The power of advertising is frightening. <br />Hence, I came to think of Bradbury @Alexa. I always think of Orwell, Bradbury or Huxley when something in nowadays world's dynamics makes me very anxious. <br />I hope you understand my points, @Cat. No prejudices. I always approach a book with a sense of respect, looking for what good there may be in it. But when something so mediocre is proposed as a phenomenon, I can really get furious. As for the end of the story, the friend who lent me the books was so kind to let me know that there was nothing surprising in that either ;-)<br />Thanks to the 3 of you for contributing to the discussion.Maria Graziahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08876779286144473782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-32764977413872380972012-08-03T21:36:02.566+02:002012-08-03T21:36:02.566+02:00I read the first part of the trilogy out of curios...I read the first part of the trilogy out of curiosity. Besides being really easy and superficial, which seems to be what most people who only read one or two books a year are interested in, I can understand people's interest. Sex still sells, and sex in a book may make you look smarter... The series was meant to be a phenomenon, and it worked, plus they are turning it into a movie series as well, which I am sure it is going to break records... Anyway, de gustibus...Allyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13519013112094411314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-77758807742843899872012-08-03T21:32:41.812+02:002012-08-03T21:32:41.812+02:00Here here! I love that "he wears his jeans on...Here here! I love that "he wears his jeans on his hip in a way that makes her lose her strength (what way is that?)." Well said. And what a relevant Bradbury quote! Perfect indeed.Alexa Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10086472405632748174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-72792814817381983892012-08-03T20:50:22.615+02:002012-08-03T20:50:22.615+02:00I haven't read the books but I do object to th...I haven't read the books but I do object to the sentiment that al books must be high-brow literature. Nothing wrong with an easy read, just like there's nothing wrong with a bad horror movie or a soap opera. <br /><br />Having said that, these books are incredibly sexist and set back the feminist movement by a century. <br /><br />Seeing how people slammed a fantasy author recently for being racist, I can't believe how few people have a problem with the sexism in these books! I'm damn sure that in the 80's we have staged book burning protests against them. <br /><br />That's why I hate them and flat out refuse to read them, no matter how many of my friends do. <br /><br />P.S. I have discussed these books in depth with 4 people, 2 who are professors, 1 who is a psychology professor. I may not have read them but I understand their content backwards by now. None of the 4 really liked them, but one did read the whole trilogy from some need to finish what she started. I can tell you how it ends if you want, but it wont shock or surprise you in the slightest.Cat Winchesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13248231162701133032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5114395886235179043.post-53768759262355070902012-08-03T20:35:23.615+02:002012-08-03T20:35:23.615+02:00I completely agree with you. I couldn't make i...I completely agree with you. I couldn't make it past through second or third chapter. And like you, I don't know what everybody finds so amazing about it. Any of the "so-called" romantic novels that most critizase has more depth and impact than this.<br /><br />But you know, Marketing is a powerful gun and it seems they had the best campaign ever. It's our choice how we spend the money but it's so sad to spend it like this.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13908560471560257675noreply@blogger.com