bigger spoilers are between the # in white text

I have read the best part of this book. It seems that it's only the sex that has got people talking about this because otherwise there's hardly anything getting worked up about. There are so many bits where I just go 'what?' because I can not understand what on earth is going through the minds of the characters. Or I get frustrated by how the book is written.

1, The book is set in 2011 (last year) Ana is 21 and has got through a uni course without having a laptop of her own, or even an e-mail address and her mobile clearly does not have e-mail or internet facitlity.  She is also not only a virgin, but also has never had a boyfriend and never even thought about kissing anyone until she meets Christian.

2, They rarely just talk to each other, they always whisper, murmur or breathe.

3, Christian is arrogant/presumptous but it always works out okay,  #He doesn't ask if Ana is allergic to seafood "I've ordered already, I hope you don't mind"  and complains she hasn't eaten any nuts. He turns up out of the blue at her house. How convenient that Kate is out all evening at a dinner the second time.#

4, Why can only three people fit in her Beetle? #(Travis, Ana and Jose) If it is a two seater surely Kate would take a passenger instead of three of them squashing into the Beetle. Why does Christian suggest Taylor drives them all home (solving the problem of Ana staying behind) when there will then be the problem of getting Kate's car back home? Why do they swap cars?(leaving Kate, Travis, Jose and all the equipment to cram into the Beetle)#

5, Why do they use the MacBook for emailing each other when they are both quite capable and have the technology to text? She even fires up the computer and e-mails him in reply to a text at one point. Surely if she has never had an e-mail address she would be far more comfortable with texts (remember, it is 2011)

6, She is surprised when Christian uses baby oil to soothe her sore bum.  Why do you think it is called baby oil?

7, She forgets that her best friend Jose is a photographer (when Christian says he can be available tomorrow for a photo shoot the following day) Jose came round the night before with a bottle of champagne to celebrate that he is doing a photography exhibition.

Did anyone else find that these kind of things distracted them from getting involved in/enjoying the characters/story?

/end of rant.

freerange:

1, The book is set in 2011 (last year) Ana is 21 and has got through a uni course without having a laptop of her own, or even an e-mail address

You are not alone, this one really stood out for me and I found it highly annoying - I think I commented about the laptop situation on the review thread for this book!

I must admit to not noticing some of the others that you have mentioned above!

the main issue i have is the s.ex, its mostly unnessesary, i did enjoy the 1st book as it was different and easy to read but by book 2 id hoped a story would appear, there is a vague hint of one somewhere amoungst all the s.ex. by the 3rd i was well and truely fed up of it, they couldnt even turn ove in bed without it being sexual. im glad ive finished them but what started out enjoyable really became a chore.

the big issue i had through the books is the fact ana was a virgin yet instantly liked the darker acts and became quite predatory, i knew someone who was (prob still is) a dom and it took alot for him to build up to that, it wasnt instant like it was for ana. totally unrealistic and sets a bad example for any young teens that reads it.

notblondereally:

the main issue i have is the s.ex

 But of course, Tru, it's the s.e.x that's driving the sales, isn't it ?

janetandjohn:

notblondereally:

the main issue i have is the s.ex

 

 But of course, Tru, it's the s.e.x that's driving the sales, isn't it ?

yes but its the main bit thats put me off, its OTT in my opinion. x

 Not going to bother myself, but from other people's comments, I think I wouldn't have minded if these books were well written - and apparently they are not.  Mind you, if I thought I could write a book that made as much as she did in such a short time..... I would write one now!! 

freerange:

1, The book is set in 2011 (last year) Ana is 21 and has got through a uni course without having a laptop of her own, or even an e-mail address and her mobile clearly does not have e-mail or internet facitlity.  She is also not only a virgin, but also has never had a boyfriend and never even thought about kissing anyone until she meets Christian.r

t 5, Why do they use the MacBook for emailing each other when they are both quite capable and have the technology to text? She even fires up the computer and e-mails him in reply to a text at one point. Surely if she has never had an e-mail address she would be far more comfortable with texts (remember, it is 2011)

6, She is surprised when Christian uses baby oil to soothe her sore bum.  Why do you think it is called baby oil?

I don't use my mobile for internet or email, nothing strange about it. 

I personally don't understand the issue with her being a virgin!!  I'm sure there are people who are virgins at 20, 21 and even older in this day an age!  I know a male who is 20 and is a virgin.  So what?  Not everyone is having sex at 14.  I think it is explained that she has never met anyone she wanted to have sex or be seriously involved with...it might not be the norm but it's not impossible.

As for baby oil, I think a lot of people wouldn't necessarily know what it is for unless they have a child - my children wouldn't know what it's use is for.  I assumed that she would think it was for baby's and that why she is surprised it is being used.  I never thought of using it as a moisturiser until someone said it was good as such.

I think people forget it wasn't intended for publishing, someone just saw an eye for some easy money and took a gamble, the editing has been poor but they weren't selling it for a story.  The people who love it are mostly people who don't read much so they wouldn't pick up on stuff like that, they just enjoy it for what it is.  I reckon if the publishers had realised quite how popular it was going to be they would have made a much tidier edit of it.

I'm just a bit fed up of it now, people in my book group being completely snobbish about it because they've read the free sample on amazon and it's written terribly, rubbish, couldn't possibly read something so appalling...blah, blah, blah...fine if they don't want to read it but they can't truly criticise it if they haven't read it!  Let people read what they want.  And that woman doing the spoof on twitter and pulling it to pieces, has she nothing better to do?  Smacks of green eyed monster to me......live and let live!

There is nothing strange about her mobile being just a phone (not a smartphone) It's just that never having used e-mail before she iimmediately uses it as her primary method of contacting Christian. Surely she would be far far more likely to text?

There is nothing odd about her being a virgin. What is odd is that she has never even thought about kissing anyone. At 21, I also had never met anyone I want to be seriously involved with (still haven't) but I think about it

I've read other books with maybe too much sex in (The Mammoth Hunters was the first book in a series of 4 or 5 by Jean M Auel, one was called The Valley of the Horses?) and I knew that's what people were really taking about, but  there are so many things that it distracted me from enjoying the story. People were talking about it loads so I thought I'd see what the fuss was about and read the book myself... disappointed.

freerange:

I've read other books with maybe too much sex in (The Mammoth Hunters was the first book in a series of 4 or 5 by Jean M Auel, one was called The Valley of the Horses?) and I knew that's what people were really taking about, but  there are so many things that it distracted me from enjoying the story. People were talking about it loads so I thought I'd see what the fuss was about and read the book myself... disappointed.

Perhaps you should have read the book on it's own merits and not bothered about what other people were saying about it.  To be honest I didn't think there was that much sex in it and it was no worse than reading some of the bonkbusters that I read in the 80's.  Maybe the way some of the sex scenes were written was a little bit more involved in the sub/dom parts than what was written in the bonkbusters.  Maybe you were expecting there to be more sex in it as everyone has been raving about it so much.  I actually enjoyed the intensity of the relationship between Ana and Christian, she was in control in my opinion and had him eating out of her hand.

I've just read the book and I was completely immersed in it.  I agree that it could have done with some better proof readers and some tighter editing but it's not the worst written book I've ever read.  I don't tend to over analyse books and by not doing so it doesn't detract away from the story.

freerange:

There is nothing strange about her mobile being just a phone (not a smartphone) It's just that never having used e-mail before she iimmediately uses it as her primary method of contacting Christian. Surely she would be far far more likely to text?

She does text him as well though.  Maybe she prefers using e-mails when she's at home, etc rather than texting him and if he's at work he's more likely to be near to his PC and using the internet. 

I have to admit I didn't even think about that actually (the email instead of text).  I did find it quite naughty and blushed at a few points (although many have said it is fairly tame - I did find it quite naughty for want of a better word).  Saying that I read the first part of the story of O and won't take it outside to read, mortified lol.

That said I did enjoy it, despite the terrible writing and lots of sex the story I did like (what there was of it).  Also the jumping into all the deep stuff, I know people who have been so in love and new to it all they would try anything with their new love (that said I know plenty who wouldn't) but I think it depends on the type of person you are. 

Terribly written and not one of the best stories I have read by any means buy I couldn'tput them down and really liked them.  Was something totally different I had never read before.

lainy_79:

Saying that I read the first part of the story of O and won't take it outside to read, mortified lol.

That book is a completely different kettle of fish from what I can remember of it now.