Young Writers Society

@TriSARAHtops I'm reading 50 Shades for my "book that scares me." *shudders* Yikes.

BlueAfrica wrote:@TriSARAHtops I'm reading 50 Shades for my "book that scares me." *shudders* Yikes.

@Blueafrica ahaha I love this idea xD

@blueafrica Terrifying!

@BlueAfrica hahaha XD

Right??? If it was just bad writing I could just giggle at it and enjoy it anyway ("it's so bad, it's good!"), but the abuse and rapiness and then the fact that I've seen people online wishing they could meet their own Greys, and I'm just like, "Did you read the same book I'm reading? Because if you are wishing for this to happen to you, I don't think you read the same book as me." I just. Like people need to be educated about why this is not okay. I was going to write a whole long post on all the things that are wrong with it so far, but then I remembered I'm saving that for when I'm actually done reading the whole thing.

Which I'm really only doing so that when I complain about it and people go, "Have you even read it???" I can be like, "YEP" and pull out citations of specific examples of its horribleness.

I won't even mention the bad writing as part of that, because I wouldn't care if people were enjoying it even though it's badly written. But I do have a problem with abusive relationships being romanticized or thought of as okay just because the abuser is "an Adonis" - pardon me as I throw up in my mouth a little bit - who is wealthy and some sort of sex god or whatever the heck.

The one good thing I can say about "Grey," the redo from HIS perspective, is that it's impossible to hide what a rapist he is when you've got us reading his direct thoughts, so some former fans are now like, "Wow, you guys were right. He IS a sociopath," and they're speaking out against it too now.

I read it for the very same reason, so I can have an educated debate if I meet someone gushing over the "gripping story" and "irresistible Grey" .

Though I feel the choice of BDSM is up to a person. It's their life after all, but the book portrays it in a disturbing I'm-going-to-suck-the-will-out-of-you way.

(Also am I the only one who feels Heathcliff falls into a similar category as Grey? I mean, that man cannot be an ideal lover. So abusive!)

Okay, I didn't want to comment on this because I thought I would come across as a not-so-cool- person. But no, I need to make a statement here just because!

Now, I'm not one of those people who gushes over Grey and day-dream about him, and I'm also not one of those people who reads the book just to let the gushers know how wrong they are and how they need to see a doctor ASAP! Of course, it's a public commodity; some like them and some don't! But, we as avid readers have a responsibility! I'm not sure what that responsibility is; but I'm sure it's definitely not saying, "oh, that book sucked!" "i wish i could burn the writer" We need to be more coherent, analysing and debating(able). Maybe it's just me; I just don't build up such hatred towards books. >_>

On with Heathcliff, hm, such comparison and much wow! So, here’s something I told Deanie a couple of months ago. C:

Well, it's sadistic for one; how often do we come across a character who is hated universally, while he- Heathcliff is the actual victim. He was robbed of his love, he was the one who was teased and mocked at because he didn't know his last name. Though, he seems like the cold-hearted villan, a revenge seeker, one should not forget the fact that he was driven crazy by the only woman he ever loved- Catherine. Though she married her friend to help Heathcliff, her motivation was not revealed until later- a few minutes before her death. He was tormented, he was weak, and he grew sick of everyone around him. He wanted revenge. Though, he got what he wanted, never did he once feel proud or happy until his last few days where he said he has seen Catherin again, according to Mrs. Dean

Basically, he's a romantic. I'm sure Romeo would have been no less than Heathcliff, if he hadn't died.

Oh. There’s more:

…her(Emily Bronte) stories are always reminiscent; you never get to experience the story in first hand, it's always someone else narrating what they thought they saw or heard. It's Emily's technique, where the characters get developed and destroyed by the people around them. They get lost in translation— more like, they get lost in their own story, which is why I would love to have a rendition of this novel with Heathcliff's POV. :3

Stories are all about the readers' perspective.

In the end, I ended up going with Cry Blue Murder because while it's not 'scary' while you're reading it, when you actually think about it this story's really quite frightening, in a subtle 'this could happen way too easily' kind of way. Plus there's extra creep-factor for me because it's set in the suburbs of Melbourne, and familiar suburbs at that.

TriSARAHtops wrote:In the end, I ended up going with Cry Blue Murder because while it's not 'scary' while you're reading it, when you actually think about it this story's really quite frightening, in a subtle 'this could happen way too easily' kind of way. Plus there's extra creep-factor for me because it's set in the suburbs of Melbourne, and familiar suburbs at that.

I understand that completely. 'Scary' books never scare me while I'm actually reading them, it's once I'm walking down a dark hallway and my imagination goes wild that I get scared.

I just realized that the original list in the spoiler didn't have these three books.

A play:
A book that made you cry:
A book published the year you were born:

Sorry! I've put it in now.

I'm so not going to finish, but I've got to 17 and will hopefully get a few more by the end of the year! But I think I'll keep updating my list anyway, just to see how long it takes me to get to 50.

I've got four books left and I don't know if I am gonna finish because the one I am reading now is over 800 pages DD:

I found this for next year! Thanks for hosting us this year @manisha, it was a truly great idea! maybe this could be of any use for next year??


pssh @Deanie 4 more books and one more month to go? I believe that you CAN do it!

@Pretzelstick it's only two more books now! And yes, still on that huge chunky one.

@manisha pretty please! Pretty please let's do this again for next year. This one looks shorter but I want to read half of all the books I own but haven't read next year and this will help :3

I've got over 25 books to finish; this year was an utter failure. But yes, we really need to do this next year. I can't wait!