The New York Times featured Montclair today (yes, again) but more specifically our very own Watchung Booksellers, in an article about Fifty Shades of Grey, the erotic E.L. James novel causing a sensation with its dominant-submissive relationship (think handcuffs, whips and chains) that sounds like 9 1/2 Weeks taken to the next level.
The Times shows a stack of the book, photographed at Watchung Booksellers, along with the helpful tag: ‘Yes, this is the book that everyone is talking about.”
Watchung Booksellers’ Margot Sage-El has mixed feelings:
“It’s a major amusement,” said Margot Sage-EL, the owner of Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, N.J., which has sold dozens of copies and whose customers have begun asking for more erotica. “But I can’t really endorse it. What can I say, hey, we have some soft porn on the table?”
Yes Montclair — we want lower taxes, and apparently more erotica. So have you been talking about — or maybe even reading Fifty Shades of Grey? Will it make it to your book club, nighttable or just be downloaded on the down low?
P.S. Watchung Booksellers is now sold out of the book, but getting more on Thursday.
I already read the article in the Times. What I want to know is: what do the BaristaChicks think of it? Is it steamy? Has reading it, uh, livened things up? Come on, knock back a glass of wine and let’er rip.
Stepford wives and soccer mom’s looking for a little something to color their otherwise white-bread existence? A need to fill some void left by overworked and depleted spouses? I’d say the Montclair demographic makes for the perfect audience.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” sounds like a novel about senior citizens, just sayin’.
‘roo, I hear Liz has a copy.
““But I can’t really endorse it.”??
Huh? You can sell it. You can have a picture and quote in the NY Times. But not “endorse” it?
C’mon.
It’s okay. We’re adults. And adults like sex, porn and having fun (with or without handcuffs). So there’s no reason to act like Santorum on this one. After all, where’d all these kids come from that we pay so much in taxes for?
ENDORSE IT!! Yes. I sell a book that women like to read. It’s adult and features— hide the kids!!!— sex!!!
Oh, the humanity.
(Save a copy for me so I can, ah, “inspect” it and stay, ah, “current” with women-folk.)
I’ll endorse it. I reviewed it and I’ve been talking about it online since November. However, I didn’t like 50 Shades.
50 Shades of Grey began as Twilight fanfic, which, if you’re not familiar, is fiction written about the characters of Twilight. The leads of 50 Shades were Bella and Edward, with Bella cast as a klutzy, insecure innocent college student (only a few years off the original character), and Edward cast as a startlingly young CEO who has a secret predilection for BDSM. It was pulled from free fanfic distribution sites and later published for great and exceptional profit. This week, Knopf bought the rights to the three 50 Shades books plus two more in a seven figure deal.
50 Shades shares a lot of common points with Twilight, including the character types, which isn’t surprising, and the lack of quality writing and meandering first-person point of view – which also isn’t surprising. It’s a Twilight retelling with BDSM. And that BDSM is very, very light at best.
This isn’t 9 1/2 Weeks in a contemporary setting. It’s a pretty tepid contemporary romance with a distinct lack of editing. That said, because the conflict between the characters is focused on the sexuality of the hero and the conflict of that first book focuses on the heroine learning about and then accepting the hero’s sexual practices, it’s sexually tense and thus the book is somewhat erotic.
I think Margot Sage-EL is the absolute bomb-diggity and couldn’t praise her enough. But her comment about not endorsing the book made me sad. If women like the book and it turns their engines, more power to them. It didn’t work for me, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with any reader who thought 50 Shades was kickin’. (Perhaps Sage-EL meant she couldn’t endorse it because the writing isn’t the strength of the novel? I’d agree with that part).
So if you read 50 Shades and would like more books in a similar vein, I’m happy to make suggestions. If you liked the BDSM elements, and are curious about the dominant/submissive aspects of their relationship, there are many BDSM novels that are more adventurous and way, WAY more explicit. Joey W. Hill, Cherise Sinclair, and Emma Holly write very edgy and erotic BDSM romantic fiction, and I can recommend specific titles, if anyone would like.
If you liked the intense sexual focus of the story but not so much the BDSM, there are plenty of authors for you, too. Anne Calhoun, Maya Banks and Lorelei James all write erotic romance.
Do you have yours, ‘gurl?
Some of us stick to the classics when in searh of our S&M. “My Secret Life,” say, or (much more in the masochistic vein) any book ever written by either Jimmy Carter or Al Gore.
Or one could simply watch the Spartacus series on Starz. Plenty of bondage, whips, chains and submissiveness there.
‘roo, of course. I haven’t read it yet, as I actually prefer biographies and murder mysteries to bodice rippers ( I did just finish the latest Inspector Lynley and have moved on to Catherine the Great). It probably stinks, but one must stay in tune with the zeitgeist.
Murder Mysteries…Now you’re talkin’
I’m not sure how to reconcile the fact that this book is burning down the barn doors in sales and yet there’s so much reticence about it here. If it weren’t for sarahw, who as far as I know is new here, and doesn’t even like it, all we’d have is Margot clucking her tongue.
fistofsteel seems to think there’s a void between the whitebread Stepford wives of Montclair and their overworked and depleted spouses. Is he wrong? (Surely no woman would choose “fistofsteel” as a posting handle, or am I just being naive?’)
Personally I’m excited that mainstream, readers have discovered erotic romance. It brings smiles to the faces of those of us who have been multi published successfully in the genre for a long time and we hope you will all now discover our books. For myself I write character-driven stories with a thighs plot and of course it’s all about the romance. The graphic sex has to be part of that romance or, of course, it’s just ;own. Any of you out there have ereaders? Check out my web site http://www.desireeholt.com and if you find a book that interests you I’ll email you a free copy.
What’s with the bookseller’s name? Margot Sage-EL and the two caps in the hyphenated part? Don’t know her, just wondering…
I read all three books in a week. Loved them. A little different then my normal choices, but went with the rage. This book was awesOme. Helped the marriage rut after I would put it down!
It’s poorly written, it’s totally predictable, and it’s just another domination fantasy. Women just love this stuff, I guess they’re still feel guilty about sex so they like the idea of giving up control? There are also a lot of basic mistakes, but I guess it’s hard to notice that with all the grasping and pounding going on.
Probably doesn’t hold a candle to The Story of O.
This comes as a bitter disappointment, ‘gurl, but I’m not really surprised. Why does this book catch fire, though, and so many others wind up in the remainder bin? ANother of life’s mysteries, I suppose. If I could figure it out I’d make millions! Do you think the world wants to hear stories of small mammals fooling around?
The Story of W
Brilliant, PAZ. I’ll start writing now. An attractive virgin girl meets an older, experienced marsupial in a pink shirt who lives under a porch. He’s a successful neurosurgeon, and his career is his life. No woman has ever been able to capture his cold, hard, heart.
JG….Sounds good! E publishing is the way to go. I’ll download it after you upload it. Don’t tell Walleroo it’s about him, let it be a surprise.
I don’t think you should use Jersey Girl. I think you need a really mysterious Nom de Plume.
Okay, I’ll think of something.
I think Dr. W is still hibernating.