I’m fascinated by the question of why some things become popular and seemingly equal things go flat. Honestly, nobody has the answer to that question, because if they did, every book would become a best seller, and every movie would win the Oscars. Still, I like to puzzle things out.

With all the press about the movie, 50 Shades of Grey, (my favorites are this and this), I decided to reread the books last weekend. The second read was worse that the first time, because I gotten over the shock of riding crops and other painful devices, and all I was left was bad prose. And really troubling gender relations (ugh, he makes her change her name) and distasteful materialism (ugh, he buys her cars).

Ultimately, this is a fantasy-fulfillment book. And it’s more than just sex. The heroine gets a Bill Gates-rich husband, several custom designed homes, fast cars, a new wardrobe, an intact extended family, a staff, a prestigious, but undemanding career, and the ability to never be hungry. Is this what women really want?