Kinky ‘Fifty Shades’ stokes fantasy, not reality, says author

LOS ANGELES | E.L. James, the British author and producer of the erotic “Fifty Shades of Grey” novels and film franchise, knows that her story about an attractive couple engaged in a kinky relationship is very much a fantasy.

In the “Fifty Shades” trilogy, Christian Grey is a young handsome billionaire entrepreneur with a penchant for bondage, discipline, dominance, submission and sadomasochism (BDSM) who introduces the beautiful but naive Anastasia “Ana” Steele to his world of whips and sex toys.

“It’s a wish fulfillment piece that you can escape into, you can become Ana, you can see where you can go to with this guy and change him to be a far better human being, and of course, that’s just a fantasy,” James, 53, told Reuters.

James’ trilogy, born out of fan fiction that she had written inspired by young adult vampire love story “Twilight,” has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide since its 2012 release. It became a pop culture phenomenon, making erotic literature mainstream, and spawned a film franchise for Universal Pictures.

The “Fifty Shades of Grey” film, starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, grossed $560 million worldwide in 2015. The sequel, “Fifty Shades Darker,” debuted in theaters on Friday.

After the first film ended with Ana and Christian driven apart because she couldn’t commit to his desires, “Darker” sees the two reconcile, but on her terms. James said Ana is now “empowered and strong” and that it is Christian who finds himself under her spell.

Ana and Christian’s relationship, in which he exhibits controlling and stalker-ish habits, fueled a domestic abuse debate after the books were released. When the first film came out, a grassroots movement urged people to donate to women’s shelters rather than see the film.

“What I find really annoying about these people is that women are entitled to their fantasies too, and it’s a far safer place to explore things in a book,” James said.

“This does not encourage domestic violence, it’s not about domestic violence, they’re completely missing the point – however it’s an important issue so I’m glad it’s out there,” she added.

The film franchise wraps up next year with the release of “Fifty Shades Freed” and James said she’s already written another book exploring a young adult love story – with no sex.

“If you can make people fall in love with your characters and care about them, then that’s a huge achievement,” she said.

source: interaksyon.com

28-year-old female author from New Zealand wins Man Booker Prize

WELLINGTON - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key led tributes Wednesday to author Eleanor Catton after her novel "The Luminaries" won the Man Booker Prize, describing it as a "truly amazing achievement."

Catton, 28, became the youngest Booker winner and only the second New Zealander to claim the prestigious prize for fiction, after Keri Hulme's "The Bone People" won in 1985.

"This is a hugely significant achievement on the world stage for a New Zealander," Key said in a statement, adding that Catton's youth made the win "even more extraordinary."

"This will be a tremendous boost for young New Zealanders in the arts and is a testament to the obvious talent and hard work of Eleanor Catton."

Catton's publisher Fergus Barrowman of Victoria University Press praised the Booker judges for selecting the 832-page doorstopper, the longest novel to ever win the prize.

He said it was a "big, ambitious book written by a fearlessly intelligent and talented writer" that would help lift the profile of other New Zealand authors.

"It's fantastic, you can sort of hear the doors creaking open ... a success like this is a reminder that books can come from anywhere," he told Radio New Zealand.

"Often the most interesting, the freshest and most lively books come from outside the main centers, it's going to do a great deal for other New Zealand writers."

Catton told the New Zealand Listener magazine this month that her second novel took three years to write and another two to research.

The Auckland-based writer said she had considered how the £50,000 ($80,000) winner's cheque and global exposure presented by the prize could change her life.

"What a sum of money this size means is that essentially it's a temptation to leave behind an earlier version of yourself," she said.

"But it's a treacherous temptation because obviously we can't do that at all."

There was also some amusement among New Zealanders that Canada had been quick to claim Catton as their own.

She was born in Ontario while her father, a Kiwi academic, was completing a doctorate at the University of Western Ontario, then moved to New Zealand at age six.

"I feel very much a New Zealander," she told Fairfax Media last week.

source: interaksyon.com