My “Lighter Shades” trilogy began when, by way of and idle displacement activity for finishing my novel, I thought I’d fritter away a morning documenting the first fifty things that I found annoying about “Fifty Shades of Grey”.
The resulting blog post went a little bit viral, and got me far more attention than I’d ever thought possible. I especially enjoyed the visits from a number of Fifty Shades Handmaidens who felt there were several points I really, really needed to understand, which were 1) If I didn’t like the book I didn’t have to read it 2) It was just a bit of escapist fun and I had no right to judge it by my impossibly high and snobbish standards 3) if the book was really so crap then why had it sold so many copies, HMMM? and 4) I was just jealous bitter like aloes and lemons, because I would never write anything so successful.
Which was nice.
Anyway, I was then commissioned by ebook publishers Collca to deconstruct the whole novel, and then shortly after the whole trilogy – which was quite definitely one of the coolest things that can possibly happen to a blogger. The series has had some very, very lovely reviews from some very, very lovely people. Also, for reasons that I hope my “Lighter Shades” books make clear, I’m donating half of my royalties from “Fifty Shades Lighter” and “Lighter Shades Freed” to Women’s Aid.
“Lighter Shades of Grey”, “Fifty Shades Lighter” and “Lighter Shades Freed” are available from all the usual ebook sources – just scroll to the bottom of Collca’s page to find the links.
Cassandra Parkin 
[…] Fifty Shades of Grey – for obvious reasons – so I’ve been getting my information from Cassandra Parkin’s Lighter Shades trilogy, an unsettling and occasionally hilarious dissection of the Fifty Shades books. So I could be […]
Hello Cassandra!
First off, I love your books and I wish I had written them. I love your observations and your voice. I’m in the process of getting my MA in English, and because I had to write my thesis about something, I chose to write about something that makes me passionately angry. Thus, I am writing about the romance genre, the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ trilogy, and how the present state of the genre (FSoG) indicates that feminism has actually created very little transcendence from patriarchal thought (at least in the inherent desires and minds of romance readers). YAY!
Anyway, my first chapter is about the genre, my second chapter is a textual analysis of FSoG, and my third chapter is about public reception. I’m wondering if you might be willing to do an interview with me for the public reception chapter?
Let me know if you might be willing to spend some time chatting with me, either in written form or FaceTime/Skype. I’m located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Take care!
Amy Quale
Hi Amy,
Thank you for your lovely comment – I’m really pleased you enjoyed the books! I’d be delighted (and honoured) to be interviewed for your thesis.
Interviewing via email might make the most sense as I think we have quite a big time difference…are you on Twitter? If so, could you let me know your handle and I’ll PM you my email address.
Hello Cassandra!
Thank you for your response! I’m ecstatic! My Twitter is @AEQeditor. Looking forward to it!
Best,
Amy
Hi Cassandra. Last night I was kicked out of my very own warm (it’s winter in Australia) bed. And it’s your fault.
I’m a voracious reader but I’ve avoided those 50 shades books like the plague. Why? Well, I guess I’m one of the book snobs mentioned in the foreword to your Lighter Shades of Grey.
I just *know* these books would have me howling and that I’d thoroughly piss off all my friends and family with constant gripes. Yes I *know* this without having read the books! My reaction to the Twilight books is legendary among my teensy circle.
To clarify though, I don’t hate trashy fiction. I loved the Hunger Games trilogy, for example. Science fiction is my bread and butter. Sometimes I’ll go through a phase where all I’ll read are books with raised print and a helicopter exploding on the cover. Trashy is awesome.
But badly written trashy – badly written anything – raises my ire.
Anyway, I nearly caved last night. So nearly. I made it as far as the iBooks store and was wondering, “just the one because I know I’ll hate it? Or go for the trilogy because it works out cheaper, just in case?”
I was about to click. But I saw your book and for some reason I clicked on that instead. I read the sample. Then I bought the book. And I read it straight through.
About 20 minutes in to my straight through read, I got kicked out of bed. Apparently it is *so not okay* to lie in bed screaming with laughter while your partner is asleep.
I loved it, Cassandra. It’s funny, feminist and fearless (sorry about that alliterative blurt, I couldn’t help myself). It’s a bloody awesome critique and there’s the added advantage that now I don’t have to read the book. I will, however, be reading your other books and blog.
Thank you so much
Andrea
What a lovely lovely review – thank you so much! Really pleased you enjoyed it.
And I loved the alliteration. 🙂 xx
Hi there Cassandra! Just wanted to say thanks for such a great read. I downloaded lighter shades two nights ago and had it read by sunrise. Lol yep, stayed up all night reading it. I hate to admit this but I had been reading the fifty shades of grey books. I’m halfway through the second one and can now say I have no interest in finishing E.L.s trilogy. You’ve changed my whole perception on the books. Keep up the great work! Your writing is humorous yet serious. And I love it! I can’t wait to get started on lighter shades freed. It just finished downloading. Off to go get started! 🙂
Cassandra,
A week ago my friend offered me Fifty Shades of Grey to read and stated, “Focus on the love story, Hanna, you’ll learn to overlook the abuse.” Uhm, I love my best friend to death but seriously? So, of course, like a train crash that you cannot help but watch, I read the book almost too quickly, and more reluctantly as the pages flipped beneath my thumbs. Disgusted, I placed in a sticky note for my friend to see when I give the book back to her. It reads four words: defeated, unhappy, numb, and alone. I have been through sexual abuse, not by choice, and am appalled by the response of fans deeming abuse of any kind “desirable.” I thought of picking up the last two novels of the series – a quick, trashy read, however ridiculous, always gives one the thought of maybe continuing the series to see what happens – no matter how immoral. But, I decided better once I read a sample of your “Fifty Shades Lighter.”
You’re brilliant.
You may be a struggling writer but that doesn’t mistake your talent. I’m a 19 year old college student so most of us who are passionate about things don’t have a life either. Lastly, a bitterness as similar to lemons and aloes is needed in the world to remind us of what we are fully ingesting in both our stomachs, and our minds.
My point, after a rather long build-up, your novel made me see some hope in today’s women who need heroines in novels to not, for lack of a better word, SUCK. The Fifty Shades series, as well as Twilight comes to mind, as being extremely disappointing.
Sooooooo, thank you for being a heroine yourself and adjusting a few women’s viewpoint’s of lead female characters. I look forward to reading what more of what you write, however bitter from the struggle. Go, lemons and aloes!
Very respectfully and kindly,
Hanna (:
Hi Hanna,
I’m breaking my not-replying-to-comments-on-this-post policy to say a huge and heartfelt thank you for sharing your story and your thoughts.
I hope you’re in a safe and happy place now and that life is lovely for you.
xxx
Hello Cassandra,
I just wanted to say thank you for writing these observant and pithy books. I was having a completely shit day and started reading your “Lighter Shades” and was very soon laughing so hard it hurt, in an entirely delightful way. Your book cheered me, reinforced some of my own opinions on the source material, and got me out of my own head for which I am very grateful. Thank you again.
Cassia
Hi Cassandra,
I read your “lighter shades” because a friend recommended it to me after we rant for hours about the many wrong things in “50 shades” because he had a blast reading it. I loved it, and as soon as I finished I went back to Amazon to get the other 2. I’m currently reading the third one, and I can say that your books are helping. I’m as angry as I was about the success of a saga that romanticizes abuse and perpetuates the “stick around, it’ll get better” BS, but at least now I know many think like me, and the world hasn’t gone completely crazy. I’m glad you wrote this trilogy. Good luck!
Hi Cassandra,
Absolutely love this series – the books are hilarious but the underlying messages are so critically important for us all to remember. I think donating the royalties is a particularly generous and apt gesture.
Is there any chance you’re going to do a follow-up on ‘Grey’ now it’s come out? I’ve not read the book (mainly because I rather like my eyes and don’t want to have to rip them out of my own face in frustration) but I’d love to read your hilarious take on it.
Thanks again,
– M