Ponder Post: Two More Shades of Grey

A few days ago, I polished off reading the remaining two-thirds of the Grey trilogy by E.L. James, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. I'd blogged my thoughts about the first book in my post for March 24, 2015. If you were curious enough to have read Fifty Shades of Grey, then reading the next two are worth it, also. Each is an easy read and together they answered most of my questions about the background and psychology behind the unique love relationship between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey.

By the end of these three books, the symbolism of the steel-grey juxtaposition finally hit me. She was very strong, like steel, and he was caught in a grey area between two worlds. Together they made a strong team, alloyed together by a very strong bond of mutual love and respect. Each learned to show love and respect to the other, and was able to accept that love and respect from the other, in a way that was mutually understood.

Do not let the erotic sex passages with BDSM (per Wikipedia the acronym stands for Bondage and Discipline, SadoMasochism) scare you away. After a while I found myself skimming through them to get on with the real story. Am I recommending these books? I am going to hedge on answering that. Based on the general perception of this trilogy I would not want to be cited in hushed gossipy tones such as, "Do you believe Diane recommended these to me?" But, if you are willing to be open-minded to a risqué off-the-beaten-path love story and tongue-in-cheek romance, then by all means read on!

In an off the wall, non-sequitor, meandering of my pondering thoughts, this book series made me think of the television series Remington Steele starring Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist. Its 94 episodes original aired from October 1982 – April, 1987. It was a favorite of mine. Laura Holt, a very capable female private investigator lacking clients because of her gender, "invented a superior... a decidedly masculine superior" to improve business. She made up the name of her pseudo partner from a typewriter and a file cabinet.



To her dismay, a handsome stranger, suspected of being a former thief and con man, swoops in and assumes the name and identity of her fictitious Remington Steele. These television shows were sprinkled with subtle humor, mild sexual tension, a bit of drama, and are fun to watch. If rated, they would be no higher than "G". This is an alternate path to your dose of "Steele". All episodes of Remington Steele  are available to watch online at http://www.tv.com/shows/remington-steele/watch/.