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It's been said of the book and movies Fifty Shades of Grey that, if Christian Grey lived in a double-wide trailer instead of a mansion, the book would be about fighting off stalkers. This is definitely true and caused me to bounce off of the story. However, I've found myself wondering what the attraction is of this and similar works. (See 365 Dni, a recent work in the same vein.)
Then it hit me - these are Cinderella stories for adults. In Cinderella, a rich and handsome prince rides into town and sweeps a young woman off her feet and into his palace. In the version that we all learn as kids, they "live happily ever after." In the adult version, well, that "happiness" is more explicitly defined.
This desire to be swept away is clearly not universal, but common enough that one can make a lot of money catering to it. Tomorrow, my thoughts on another story I bounced hard off of, Diana Gabaldon's series Outlander.
Then it hit me - these are Cinderella stories for adults. In Cinderella, a rich and handsome prince rides into town and sweeps a young woman off her feet and into his palace. In the version that we all learn as kids, they "live happily ever after." In the adult version, well, that "happiness" is more explicitly defined.
This desire to be swept away is clearly not universal, but common enough that one can make a lot of money catering to it. Tomorrow, my thoughts on another story I bounced hard off of, Diana Gabaldon's series Outlander.
