Интервю на английски

Marlo Thomas: Let's start with a question about color. You called the book Fifty Shades of Grey, and one of the two main characters is named Christian Grey. Why grey?

E.L. James: What I wanted to demonstrate is that I do not look at the world in terms of black and white -- and I find people who do rather scary. I think it's all shades of grey. As you read through the novel, you think, "Was she good? Was she bad? What was he saying? What went on?" And I think all of the questions that the story raises are not questions for me to answer. They are for the readers to decide for themselves -- how they feel about everything. Fifty shades of grey.

Marlo: I devoured the books -- they were such fun to read -- but they were also off-the-wall, sexually speaking. So I couldn't help but wonder: What inspired you to delve into this particular kind of writing?

E.L.: Well to be honest, it was mostly curiosity. I had just read some stuff about BDSM [bondage-domination-sadism-masochism] and found it really, really hot -- an arousing kind of hot. And I got to thinking, "What if you met somebody who was in this kind of relationship, in this lifestyle, and who knew nothing about it and probably didn't want to do it? What would happen next?" And I just took it from there, really. And as I got to know these characters, they took me on this extraordinary journey.

Marlo: When you were growing up, did you read erotic books or see erotic films?

E.L.: I read a lot of erotic fiction in my early 30s, things by Brenda Joyce, Nora Roberts, Judith McNaught. I'm a sucker for a love story.

Marlo: Me, too. That's the secret to the success of your "Fifty Shades" books, I think.

E.L.: Yes, I think this is why women have responded to them. It's the love story more than anything else.

Marlo: A lot of women, especially feminists, have expressed concern about the potent male dominance in the books. Others have called it politically incorrect. How do you respond to that?

E.L.: You know what? It makes me kind of laugh, all this navel-gazing about this book. I wrote it for fun! It's entertaining, and if they read all the books, they'd know who's actually the stronger of these two characters.

Marlo: Ana, of course.

E.L.: Yes, Ana, by far. I get so many people telling me, "My God, this book has empowered me" and "I can really explore my sexuality now." I think what people do in the bedroom is up to them, and it's not for us to judge. So I find all of this breast-beating about it...well, I mean, I just roll my eyes at it, frankly.

Marlo: It's a fantasy.

E.L.: Exactly. And it's fun! And everything Ana does is safe, sane and consensual. Christian takes it too far. She leaves. I think the domination aspect is completely overstated, and that many people are missing the point.

Marlo: When I wrote about the book earlier this year, I addressed that exact point. I said that, in the end, Ana tames Christian.

E.L.: Actually, it's not about taming him. It's about showing him something else -- a side of him that he doesn't know he has. I mean, the poor boy, he's an adolescent, and he has his adolescence through these books. He is incredibly f***ed up.

Marlo: Agreed. And anyway, feminists have fantasies, too. I am a feminist, and I had a very good weekend after I read your book, thank you.

E.L.: I'm very glad to hear it.

Marlo: Ann Rice referred to her sexier novels as "one-handed reads"; and "Saturday Night Live" spoofed "Fifty Shades" as the perfect masturbation material --

E.L.: That was hilarious! I just laughed my socks off when I saw it. I thought, "Here are people who aren't pontificating about it; they're actually celebrating it in a way." I mean, who talks about female masturbation anyway? And it was on prime time television! Who would believe that? It was fantastic.

Marlo: A lot of women wrote to comments to me, saying that "Fifty Shades" really helped bring some passion back into their marriages, and into their relationships. They said it freed them.

E.L.: Yes, and isn't it nice to be dominated now and again, or dominating somebody else, or doing a little role-playing -- if it's all in fun?

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