Fifty Shades of (insert clever adjective here): Chapters 11-15
You know what, I kind of like Anastasia in these chapters. For the first time, I'm thinking that this girl could do a lot better than Christian and that he knows it. It's almost as if he's using sex and gifts to distract her from the fact that she's smart enough to find herself a guy who is just as cute as he and doesn't have all the weird emotional baggage.
In chapter eleven, we finally see the full and complete BDSM contract that Christian wants Ana to sign. It almost gets it's own chapter. I'd say it's a combination between a reasonably sensible agreement for safe and sane scenarios and Christian attempting to play surrogate daddy. Ana's response is... reasonable! OMG she actually sits down and points out some problems with the contract and Christian's attitude. My favorite point is that the contract stipulates that this arrangement is for Ana's benefit and Ana points out that it is for their mutual benefit. Rock on, Ana!
Ana and Christian agree to meet for dinner to discuss details of the arrangement. As always, these two are awkward together. Still, I have to give Ana another point for noticing that Christian is using sex to control her and refusing to go back to his hotel room because she wants to keep her head clear. Meanwhile, Christian is, well, he's an asshole. Christian seems unclear on the concept that while negotiating a BDSM contract, one has not yet begun play. His idea of a negotiation is "Oh well, if you were my submissive, then we'd just do what I want instead of talking about this. Why won't you just do what I want?" Then he complains that Ana won't trust him, but honestly, why should she? When she tries to set down limits, his answer is "Oh we'll just take it slow but we'll do it anyway." No, Christian, that is not how limits work and if that's how you think, Ana has every reason to worry that once she's all tied up, you'll start peeing on her because you decide you were working up to it.
I'd also like to take a moment out to talk about something that has bothered me in criticism of this book. I have read quite a few reviews that criticize Ana's limits and insist that she should try whatever the sex act before opting not to do it. Guys, people are entitled to their limits and no, they are not required to try out your kink of choice to see if they like it or not. Whether or not they are missing out, it is their choice and it is not okay to criticize that aspect of it. Now, if you want to see furries in your erotic lit and are disappointed that Ana isn't into that, it's fine to say so. However, the discussion always seems to go in the direction of "There's something wrong with Ana for liking my kink!" and that's not cool.
So, Ana graduates from college and Christian is there to give a speech. Naturally, he singles out Ana for attention and then forces an introduction to her dad or step-dad, because the author introduced him as Ana's mom's second husband whose name Ana bears as opposed to saying he's her dad. I get the feeling that the Twilight fic serial numbers didn't get rubbed all the way off here. Anyway, I get the feeling that a lot of women would really love to be with a guy who wanted to meet their parents right away. Personally, I feel like this is a step that's a little more pressure than I'd want in a new relationship, especially one meant to be romantic.
Christian turns up at Ana's place uninvited yet again for more sex and holds out the carrot of a potential romantic relationship if Ana will agree to his contract. At the end of Chapter Fifteen, she agrees, so I'm guessing that the next installment will bring on the paddling.
By the way, I will attempt to talk about the smut factor in this book, but I think I'm going to give the sex it's own post after I've finished reading. Why? Up to this point, the sex really hasn't been particularly important. It's there, sure, but the sex isn't moving the plot or the relationships along. It's just characters having sex dropped into the story and once they get done having sex, they carry on pretty much as if it never happened. Oh they tell us it matters, but they don't act as if it does. Thus far, the book has yet to show us any kind of sexual journey much less an emotional one, so I'll hold out until the end just in case the author has something interesting up her sleeve for later chapters. Then I'll talk about Ana's adventures in BDSM, assuming she's had some by then.
In chapter eleven, we finally see the full and complete BDSM contract that Christian wants Ana to sign. It almost gets it's own chapter. I'd say it's a combination between a reasonably sensible agreement for safe and sane scenarios and Christian attempting to play surrogate daddy. Ana's response is... reasonable! OMG she actually sits down and points out some problems with the contract and Christian's attitude. My favorite point is that the contract stipulates that this arrangement is for Ana's benefit and Ana points out that it is for their mutual benefit. Rock on, Ana!
Ana and Christian agree to meet for dinner to discuss details of the arrangement. As always, these two are awkward together. Still, I have to give Ana another point for noticing that Christian is using sex to control her and refusing to go back to his hotel room because she wants to keep her head clear. Meanwhile, Christian is, well, he's an asshole. Christian seems unclear on the concept that while negotiating a BDSM contract, one has not yet begun play. His idea of a negotiation is "Oh well, if you were my submissive, then we'd just do what I want instead of talking about this. Why won't you just do what I want?" Then he complains that Ana won't trust him, but honestly, why should she? When she tries to set down limits, his answer is "Oh we'll just take it slow but we'll do it anyway." No, Christian, that is not how limits work and if that's how you think, Ana has every reason to worry that once she's all tied up, you'll start peeing on her because you decide you were working up to it.
I'd also like to take a moment out to talk about something that has bothered me in criticism of this book. I have read quite a few reviews that criticize Ana's limits and insist that she should try whatever the sex act before opting not to do it. Guys, people are entitled to their limits and no, they are not required to try out your kink of choice to see if they like it or not. Whether or not they are missing out, it is their choice and it is not okay to criticize that aspect of it. Now, if you want to see furries in your erotic lit and are disappointed that Ana isn't into that, it's fine to say so. However, the discussion always seems to go in the direction of "There's something wrong with Ana for liking my kink!" and that's not cool.
So, Ana graduates from college and Christian is there to give a speech. Naturally, he singles out Ana for attention and then forces an introduction to her dad or step-dad, because the author introduced him as Ana's mom's second husband whose name Ana bears as opposed to saying he's her dad. I get the feeling that the Twilight fic serial numbers didn't get rubbed all the way off here. Anyway, I get the feeling that a lot of women would really love to be with a guy who wanted to meet their parents right away. Personally, I feel like this is a step that's a little more pressure than I'd want in a new relationship, especially one meant to be romantic.
Christian turns up at Ana's place uninvited yet again for more sex and holds out the carrot of a potential romantic relationship if Ana will agree to his contract. At the end of Chapter Fifteen, she agrees, so I'm guessing that the next installment will bring on the paddling.
By the way, I will attempt to talk about the smut factor in this book, but I think I'm going to give the sex it's own post after I've finished reading. Why? Up to this point, the sex really hasn't been particularly important. It's there, sure, but the sex isn't moving the plot or the relationships along. It's just characters having sex dropped into the story and once they get done having sex, they carry on pretty much as if it never happened. Oh they tell us it matters, but they don't act as if it does. Thus far, the book has yet to show us any kind of sexual journey much less an emotional one, so I'll hold out until the end just in case the author has something interesting up her sleeve for later chapters. Then I'll talk about Ana's adventures in BDSM, assuming she's had some by then.