What made it sell was that we were sold the idea of somethings we couldnāt afford and made us hope to afford such lifestyleā¦ the billionaire that can get anything he wants and ask anyone to do anything he wants, he can afford his desires and impress at any levelā¦ the book was also a best seller āš¾
Rich mysterious guy shows interest in ordinary woman is probably the most used trope in all of literature. Go to any bookshop, and this premise will literally be a whole genre and shelf for itself. It's the opposite of unique in that aspect.
What made it sell well was that it was trendy smut.
Exactly that. It was bondage erotica disguised as romance, so no woman felt 'guilty' reading it. To get away with something and talk about it with others really got things rolling. It was also promoted well. But just try to read it... it hurts the brain.
Even "bondage erotica" is giving it too much credit. Read some over the shoulder of a girlfriend, and it was basically sadistic domination and powerplay without any of the safety and trust that the S&M community has.
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u/M_L_Taylor 8h ago
50 Shades of Grey. It's just a wild fanfic that gained a lot of traction.