Have you read........?

If I had a £1 for every time I've been asked in recent months, "Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey?" I'd have loads of money to buy books that are on my wish list.

So I popped into my local WH Smith early one morning when the shop was quiet and my two favourite female shop assistants were there.

Me: Morning, just wanted to ask what's all the talk about "Fifty Shades of Grey?

Trixie and Dixie: (looking at each other and in unison) Oooooooooooh!!  (eyebrows raised) You really want to know?

Me: Yes (hesitantly because now I'm wondering, why that response)

Trixie: Well, my dear, (comes out from behind counter and ushers me with one arm raised showing the amazing art work that are her nails) come with me....

I follow her to a cardboard stand where lies in wait, many copies of "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Trixie: Open the book at page 184.  (I think thats the page, not sure now.)

So I do and read.  And I go     "....  hmm ..... ok..... well.... right....  " finish reading and put book back on shelf.  And look up at Trixie.

Me:  well.....  thanks for your help. 

And we both burst out laughing.

So I exit shop and go straight to cafe for my latte.  Sitting sipping my latte and reading the newspaper, along comes my friend whom I will call Mrs G.  We chat for a while and then she turns to me with those big baby blues of hers and says "Have you read "Fifty Shades of Grey?"  "No", I reply.  "Well.... no.... that's not exactly true, I have read page 184".  And I go on to explain the little scene earlier. 

(Now Mrs G is a retired lady, in her seventies, elegant who puts some of us younger ones to shame.)  So she pops her shopping bag on her chair and gets up... I assume she is going to the Ladies...  but no....  "... just going to pop into Smiths for a min", she mumbles and I, jokingly say...  ".. remember it's page 184".  Mrs G smiles and strides off.

Five minutes later she is back, Smiths plastic bag in hand, and puts bag in shopping bag.  "I bought it", she whispers conspiratorally and I nearly choke on my mouthful of coffee.  "And you can read it when I'm finished".

Comments

Rain Trueax said…
*laughing* I bought all three. Being a writer myself, one not nearly that successful, I wanted to know why they did so well. But I have not been able to get myself into them. I set them into a cupboard for now (grandkids visiting) and will probably give them a try when they go home. The writing didn't look very good to me with the little I saw but it is resonating with a lot of people so they must be doing something right.

The erotica won't bother me as I read that kind of stuff years ago. Anne Rice and Lola Burford wrote some of the most well-written (in my opinion). It got old and boring and haven't read any for years until all this talk :) My daughter and daughter in law though had read one or more of them and it made me decide it was a phenomena that I needed to 'get'... maybe. The funny part is I don't feel remotely embarrassed at reading them (my books have sex in them also) but also am not sure that I'll find them that good as other writers have complained they weren't that well written and got redundant (which might be sour grapes) ;)
Chris said…
This takes me back so many years - like the early sixties. I was going to say the late fifties, but that makes me feel so old! My dearest friend, Philomena, along with her friend, and I would have slumber parties while our husbands were out at sea. Well a friend of a friend introduced us to the paper back: 99 different positions, or something like that - it was too long ago to remember. We had a hilarious time on our visits together, trying to figure out some of the positions. Then we each bought a copy and showed it to friends, and friends of friends (all women) and before we'd even finished the book, it had become a big seller in Hawaii.
I'm so glad the women of today still get a kick, or thrill out of enjoying these kinds of books together. I still remember the time when we weren't even supposed to admit, married or not, that we had sex, let alone enjoy it.

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