About a month ago I spent an entire weekend reading The Fifty Shades trilogy written by EL James. Why? Well let’s just say I succumbed to all the hype. With the books spending months at or near the top of the New York Times bestseller list, I wanted to see exactly what all the fuss was about.

Now for those not familiar, the Fifty Shades trilogy traces the erotic relationship between a recent college graduate and a billionaire businessman. And it all started well in the first book: Fifty Shades of Grey. However halfway through the second book Fifty Shades Darker I found it rather unbearable and just couldn’t understand why millions of women were embracing this toxic dysfunctional relationship.

Surely the state of marriages can’t be so bad that this over the top drama could be considered escapism. Not only is the relationship beyond toxic but the books are so poorly written that I seriously considered throwing them in the fire. Plus the sex between the characters didn’t appear fun or even erotic. It was clumsy and dominating and that to me is not attractive.

But I ploughed through it all willing the books to get better. Also because I’d purchased all three books and so wanted to see if the predictable outcome I suspected was coming would indeed happen in the final book: Fifty Shades Freed. I was not to be disappointed. They got their happy ending but in the real world I doubt it would last as their relationship was emotionally and physically abusive and so really fifty shades of fucked up.

Now a month on, my opinion hasn’t changed. It was all so ludicrous that I wouldn’t recommend that anyone else waste time reading the books as it’s not the great love story folks have made it out to be. Plus there are much more enjoyable erotic novels available. Heck, pick up any Jack Collins novel and it will make for a better read. Plus the women tend to be more empowered and less submissive. Collins’ characters are strong and know what they want when they get with a partner that is equally matched. That to me is the basis for a good erotic thriller.

Fifty Shades is just trashy porn and hardly liberating.