Week 7 Prompt

For our prompt this week, I want you to think about fake memoirs, author mills, and celebrity inspired book clubs. Basically write a readers' response to one of the articles you are reading for this week (see syllabus or links in this post for readings) - or talk about a time when a book or author that made headlines affected you personally or your work.


Many books in my lifetime are deemed controversial for a wide variety of reasons. Most of the time, I do not even have an opinion of the book, either because I have not read it, or I don't think it is actually controversial. I am very open minded and I firmly believe every book has a place on the shelves. I do believe there are many books that have morality problems, but there can still be lessons to learn from them.

Recently though, one book has actually made me have an opinion towards the "controversy." Fifty Shades of Grey has turned the book world upside. For years, romance novels have been looked upon as "guilty pleasures" or "trashy" novels many people do not read or only read in secret. Fifty Shades reinvented this idea. I personally knew many readers who openly discussed the novel and read it publicly. Fifty Shades was a great resurrection of the romance novel, but, controversy followed.

Many people fell issue with the sexual nature of Fifty Shades, of course. Sexuality in the United States has always been a hot button issue. The sexual nature of Fifty Shades is especially riveting because of the BDSM factor. Not only is there BDSM, the descriptions of sexual acts are very detailed and paint a picture clearly. The book has been challenged many times and banned in certain areas.

While I find issues with the quality of writing in the novel, it still has its place in public libraries and other areas. It is disheartening to see people who push their beliefs onto others. They can choose not to read the book, but having it banned from libraries is the very stance libraries fight against--censorship. I believe everyone has the right to read any book that interests them. The book may not align with some beliefs, but not everyone has the same beliefs. Keeping controversial books on the shelves allows libraries to be credible sources and stay unbiased.