For a modern book to surpass even marginally the colossal success of one of the most famous stories to hit the shelves in the last twenty years is no mean feat. There's one story though, that has done it and put Harry Potter behind it by selling faster than the famous wizards tales and that story is Fifty Shades of Grey. The devious, naughty and exploratory nature of the book certainly pushes the boundaries of modern self-expression - particularly for females - and has proved a global phenomenon as a result.
But what exactly is it that has captivated readers around the world? Why was the series such a global phenomenon? What factors contributed to its success and what have been the effects on women and sexuality? Read on for the discussion.
First we must start off with the storyline. It's a love story and an unusual one at that as it is devoid of, well, love! With contractual agreements and ground rules in place the relationship between the two main characters - Anastasia and Mr Christian Grey himself is purely a physical one. Perhaps it is this that has grasped readers' attention spans so enigmatically, the typical love story of normal girl meets wealthy businessman oozing charm and becomes love struck isn't really what this book is all about. Having an emotionless physical relationship especially for women is a foreign concept; does it work? Or does it fail? Can it work?
As discussed above this book has had an enormous affect on human minds everywhere. One of the main effects culturally is an opening up of society who appear far less inhibitive when discussion their private lives and fantasies. Perhaps this then - is where the magic lies, in lifting the taboo previously placed on sex.
The recorded and anecdotal reports are that the novel has had a far more pronounced effect on the female proportion of the population than the male! Women previously unaware have been introduced to fantasy worlds of seduction and power and judging by the public reaction, they love it! Whether it's from a sense of empowerment, an enjoyment of something new or simply a damn good read women everywhere are feeling a little more adventurous than usual! Another rather more obvious effect has been a huge surge in the sale of erotic toys from all the high street and online stores as women and couples everywhere look to lift the fantasy from the pages.
With regards to the positive nature of the above mentioned effects of the book for all those sellers of erotic toys, in particular sex toys and vibrators directed at females one obvious business benefit to mention is an increase in their sales and bank accounts! Culturally though a renewed openness to talk about sex and a prevalence of both the book and related erotic toys into the mainstream advertising and entertainment industries has taken place - and we're not complaining!
Every decade or so an alteration or change in a worldwide trend is borne out of something small that takes off spectacularly; Fifty Shades of Grey is a prime example of this. The most recent example prior to this in terms of literature was the Harry Potter series; other examples of this in modern times include the 2012 Olympic Games in London which inspired a transition for females from skinny to strong and a resurgence of sixties type attire in the fashion that came around at the start of 2013. So - have you read the book yet? What do you think?
But what exactly is it that has captivated readers around the world? Why was the series such a global phenomenon? What factors contributed to its success and what have been the effects on women and sexuality? Read on for the discussion.
First we must start off with the storyline. It's a love story and an unusual one at that as it is devoid of, well, love! With contractual agreements and ground rules in place the relationship between the two main characters - Anastasia and Mr Christian Grey himself is purely a physical one. Perhaps it is this that has grasped readers' attention spans so enigmatically, the typical love story of normal girl meets wealthy businessman oozing charm and becomes love struck isn't really what this book is all about. Having an emotionless physical relationship especially for women is a foreign concept; does it work? Or does it fail? Can it work?
As discussed above this book has had an enormous affect on human minds everywhere. One of the main effects culturally is an opening up of society who appear far less inhibitive when discussion their private lives and fantasies. Perhaps this then - is where the magic lies, in lifting the taboo previously placed on sex.
The recorded and anecdotal reports are that the novel has had a far more pronounced effect on the female proportion of the population than the male! Women previously unaware have been introduced to fantasy worlds of seduction and power and judging by the public reaction, they love it! Whether it's from a sense of empowerment, an enjoyment of something new or simply a damn good read women everywhere are feeling a little more adventurous than usual! Another rather more obvious effect has been a huge surge in the sale of erotic toys from all the high street and online stores as women and couples everywhere look to lift the fantasy from the pages.
With regards to the positive nature of the above mentioned effects of the book for all those sellers of erotic toys, in particular sex toys and vibrators directed at females one obvious business benefit to mention is an increase in their sales and bank accounts! Culturally though a renewed openness to talk about sex and a prevalence of both the book and related erotic toys into the mainstream advertising and entertainment industries has taken place - and we're not complaining!
Every decade or so an alteration or change in a worldwide trend is borne out of something small that takes off spectacularly; Fifty Shades of Grey is a prime example of this. The most recent example prior to this in terms of literature was the Harry Potter series; other examples of this in modern times include the 2012 Olympic Games in London which inspired a transition for females from skinny to strong and a resurgence of sixties type attire in the fashion that came around at the start of 2013. So - have you read the book yet? What do you think?
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As mentioned above sales of the book and other related products have gone up dramatically as a consequence, if you'd like to see what's in the book in an online story look at ohtique - an online boutique exclusively for women.
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