The author E.L. James, who was recently on Long Island for a book-signing, admits the book started out as “Twilight” fan fiction but rapidly took a turn of its own. For many of us thirty-somethings who picked up the love affair between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, “Fifty Shades” was the adult version gone to the extreme.
But what really has the moms talking is what the books have done for relationships. The steamy storylines have reinvigorated relationships that have long been in a rut. For many of us, between working a job, caring for our families, taking care of ourselves, shuttling all over the place, it sometimes doesn’t leave enough time for romance and the connection that we all crave. We get busy in the day to day hustle and bustle and are too tired to focus on each other’s wants and desires by the time the kids are in bed.
Then you read the books and meet Christian Grey and you remember what it’s like to be desired, wanted and coveted so desperately that it lights the fire from within. The next thing you know you are seeking out your husband or partner to feel that connection again! You begin to talk again and focus on your relationship – all the while your spouse has no idea why the sudden change!
This week the book series was in the news when a library in Florida decided to ban the books from its shelves. Their reasoning was the book was pornographic and could be read by children searching the stacks. I’m not going to lie – the book has a lot of sex and is graphic in spots. It’s been an education of sorts for many (including me) who didn’t know a thing about the world of doms and subs. But it’s also a world of escapism much like the reality shows on TV, the racy movies, the entertainment fare we feed on in this country, or the outrageous cover of Time Magazine (ah, a topic for next time!)
Sometimes fantasy is better than the real world – if even for a little while.
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