50 Shades of Grey Trilogy, Bestseller? HOW?

[usdfg]

Hello everyone I'm sorry that my first real thread has to be a hate thread, but im a little confused on why 50 Shades of Grey had so much success. This is just my opinion, but I really cant think of any ways that this could be a top seller with so many other novels that are much better. I am all in for giving books a chance that's why i read the book as much as I could but when i got to chapter 10 i couldnt take it anymore, I find it extremly repetitive not to mention dull. Im also not sure why but the more i read it the more i thought how much the book reminded me of Twilight



To prove the repetition:

I have discovered that Ana says "Jeez" 81 times and "oh my" 72 times. She "blushes" or "flushes" 125 times, including 13 that are "scarlet," 6 that are "crimson," and one that is "stars and stripes red." (I can't even imagine.) Ana "peeks up" at Christian 13 times, and there are 9 references to Christian's "hooded eyes," 7 to his "long index finger," and 25 to how "hot" he is (including four recurrences of the epic declarative sentence "He's so freaking hot."). Christian's "mouth presses into a hard line" 10 times. Characters "murmur" 199 times, "mutter" 49 times, and "whisper" 195 times (doesn't anyone just talk?), "clamber" on/in/out of things 21 times, and "smirk" 34 times. Christian and Ana also "gasp" 46 times and experience 18 "breath hitches," suggesting a need for prompt intervention by paramedics. Finally, in a remarkable bit of symmetry, our hero and heroine exchange 124 "grins" and 124 "frowns"... which, by the way, seems an awful lot of frowning for a woman who experiences "intense," "body-shattering," "delicious," "violent," "all-consuming," "turbulent," "agonizing" and "exhausting" orgasms on just about every page.

Is it just me? What do you guys think? Bestseller worthy?

[youkrst]

oh it's not just you!

the book started as twilight fan fiction so that explains the similarity you picked up on..

you made it to chapter 10!!! you deserve a medal, two people i know didn't get past chapter two.

it's not so much a book you cant put down as a book you cant pick up.

it is utter shite.

first there was nickelback then there was that horrible un-comedian whose name i cant remember (bob saget) and now fuckty shades of shite.

even my local supermarket has sold like 800 copies from the series in a week or two so far.

stop the world i want to get off

Finally, in a remarkable bit of symmetry, our hero and heroine exchange 124 "grins" and 124 "frowns"... which, by the way, seems an awful lot of frowning for a woman who experiences "intense," "body-shattering," "delicious," "violent," "all-consuming," "turbulent," "agonizing" and "exhausting" orgasms on just about every page.

[Chris OConnor]

You guys are brutal.

My wife just finished 50 Shades and quite enjoyed it. And if you don't tell anyone I just might confess that I'm about 16% into the book too now. But shhhh I don't want the whole world to know.

I LOVE the statistical analysis, usdfg! You're so right that the author uses the same phrases over and over again. I've noticed it with the grinning and the pants hanging off his hips. LOL

But again don't tell anyone but I plan to dig a bit deeper in an effort to get to the real substance. Currently there appears to be a lot of crap to dig through before the good stuff that everyone is raving about.

[youkrst]

oh your secret is safe with me Chris, pinky swear

[Chris OConnor]

haha thanks!

[RobynPorteous]

I read a very funny review of this trilogy and have pasted it below:

Once upon a time...
I'm Ana. I'm clumsy and naive. I like books. I dig this guy. He couldn't possibly like me. He's rich. I wonder if he's gay? His eyes are gray. Super gray. Intensely gray. Intense AND gray. Serious and gray. Super gray. Dark and gray. [insert 100+ other ways to say "gray eyes" here]
I blush. I gasp. He touches me "down there." I gasp again. He gasps. We both gasp. I blush some more. I gasp some more. I refer to my genitals as "down there" a few more times. I blush some more. Sorry, I mean I "flush" some more. I bite my lip. He gasps a lot more. More gasping. More blushing/flushing. More lip biting. Still more gasping.
The end.

This makes me giggle every time I read it, because to put it bluntly, the writing of these books is BAD, BAD, BAD!! There's no redeeming qualities to it at all... But due to its inarguably astronomical sales figures, it's a horrifying reflection of the state of consumers and popular culture today. In a world where Justin Bieber is considered a "singer" worth paying thousands to see live (really?!); and in which a book like this becomes a bestseller (really, really?!) I think the most concerning issue is what is going on in the minds of the majority of the people of the world!? The only way I can justify purchasing this trilogy is to keep it in a cupboard to use when the fridge and/or toilet leaks!

[DWill]

The author should be given court-ordered restitution: read Lady Chatterly's Lover and the works of Henry Milller.

[jamzsparrow1]

I'm a spammer and my post has been deleted.

[RobynPorteous]

I think it's availability as an eBook helps its sales too - women all over the world can purchase and read the books in the trilogy on their Kindles and other electronic reading devices without others seeing what it is they're reading. Thus increasing their anonymity when it comes to what they read, and allowing them to indulge in a little "guilt-free pleasure".

[Chris OConnor]

I think you're right, Robyn.