Book burning has worrying totalitarian connotations, reports Claire Coughlan
NOT BLACK AND WHITE: EL James' 'Fifty Shades of Grey' trilogy
'glamorises abusive relationships' claims women's refuge Wearside Women in Need.
Publisher Random House, however, says the books feature two willing adult
participants
Sunday September 09 2012 - Irish Independent
To say that the success of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is a publishing
phenomenon is an understatement. The series of erotic novels has outsold every
other book in history, put BDSM on the map and has presumably made EL James a
very rich woman. Everyone has a view on it; it would be impossible not to.
For the majority of people, hating a book means they might tweet about it or if it isn't to their taste, they might bypass it on a trip to the bookshop. However, a UK-based women's refuge feel so strongly about the perceived message in Fifty Shades of Grey that they are planning a bonfire of the popular novel on November 5 of this year. They are encouraging people to burn their copies of the book, claiming that it glamorises abusive relationships and Clare Phillipson, director of Wearside Women in Need, has even compared what happens in Christian Grey's "red room of pain" to what serial killer Fred West inflicted on his victims.
"Our concern is not the graphic depiction of sex -- this is an abusive relationship presented as a love story," she has said. "It normalises abuse, degrades women and encourages sexual violence ... Some of what happens in the book, Fred West did to his victims in his cellar. I fail to see what is erotic about that."
Sophie is, she explained, so against the idea of burning the books because of the symbolism and connotations of censorship and totalitarianism attached to such an act.
Full story here.
For the majority of people, hating a book means they might tweet about it or if it isn't to their taste, they might bypass it on a trip to the bookshop. However, a UK-based women's refuge feel so strongly about the perceived message in Fifty Shades of Grey that they are planning a bonfire of the popular novel on November 5 of this year. They are encouraging people to burn their copies of the book, claiming that it glamorises abusive relationships and Clare Phillipson, director of Wearside Women in Need, has even compared what happens in Christian Grey's "red room of pain" to what serial killer Fred West inflicted on his victims.
"Our concern is not the graphic depiction of sex -- this is an abusive relationship presented as a love story," she has said. "It normalises abuse, degrades women and encourages sexual violence ... Some of what happens in the book, Fred West did to his victims in his cellar. I fail to see what is erotic about that."
Fifty Shades publisher Random
House has responded to the claims with the following statement: "The Fifty
Shades trilogy is a work of romantic fiction which explores a consensual
relationship between two willing adult participants. The books are being enjoyed
by millions of readers -- primarily women -- around the world."
Crime fiction author Sophie Hannah, whose latest book, Kind of Cruel, is out
in paperback (Hodder) tweeted her disapproval of the proposed book burning to
her followers, saying that she had contacted the organisation in question,
asking them not to go ahead with their book bonfire.
"I actually emailed Wearside Women in Need and I said: 'Please don't burn any
books, it's a really uncivilised thing to do'," explained Sophie, when contacted
for a comment. "And I got their stock response back, saying: 'We're considering
a number of possibilities.' I'm not at all convinced that they're going to do it
[burn Fifty Shades of Grey]; if they wanted to draw attention to their campaign,
they've done that."Sophie is, she explained, so against the idea of burning the books because of the symbolism and connotations of censorship and totalitarianism attached to such an act.
Full story here.
1 comment:
While many people might be reading these books, they aren't all enjoying them - there are almost 4,000 one-star reviews on Amazon. There's also an interesting web graphic doing the rounds that suggests the heroine is too drunk to be able to be called a 'consenting adult'.
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