Having never read it I would say the obvious reason for its popularity is that women find the story of the worlds most attractive and seemingly unattainable man doing non-conservative things an interesting topic to discuss amongst themselves.

It reveals that some of themes within the book were probably not previously discussed at length among the target audience possibly because they didn't want to risk being labelled a slut by their peers for bringing it up.

It mainly reveals more about what a great businessman the author is. see a large gap in the gossip market, write a book completely covering that gap, aim for any female who can read a sentence, re-enforce existing alpha into beta via pussy values and BAM! $15 for each and every piece of gossip - genius.

Aside from the obvious, Fifty Shades of Grey actually promotes rape. It misrepresents BDSM as non consensual, and women are loving it. The domination lies waaaay beneath the usual healthy BDSM styles, which actually involve the sub's having quite a decent bit of power (being able to use a safeword whenever they want, choosing what activities to do, etc...).

In FSoG, she doesn't have a choice. They love the idea that the man is taking charge and making decisions... decisions that SHE likes. They expect the various outcomes of domination to always work within their favor. That is why most to not perceive FSoG to be rape... because in the end, she 'likes it'.

Judging from what I've heard about it, it reveals that we're spot-on here.

Everyone who's interested in female sexuality should read a couple of romance novels - it's the female equivalent of the porn folder.

The plot is always the same - reader-identifiable female protagonist is pursued by aloof, socially dominant, bad-boy alpha. There is some uncertainty if their love is really possible - until bad-boy alpha's beta side is unlocked by protagonists magic vagina. Then the wedding.

One example - vixen has summer fling with cowboy on the rodeo circuit, tons of hot sex, cowboy is revealed to be the caretaker of several orphan boys on his ranch back home (awww, what a great dad he'll be!), but there is some tension about their true feelings for each other, until at last they declare their love and get married!

50 Shades is just that, with a side of S&M.

It reveals to me that women can read porn in public and get wet all while sitting in a seat that someone else will sit in later, and nobody has the balls to go up to them and say hey go get wet in the privacy of your own home.

That they all want to be dominated and arent happy until it happens.

That women want it all, and will still be unhappy when they get it.

I find it fascinating that a novel about submission and spanking is called "mommy porn" i.e. typically something bought by aging housewives. I thought it would be something bought by guys.

It pulls back the mask off of the nasty dual sex drive, for one.

But then is "50 shades" really the first pile of trash you can dig through to find some useful knowledge of its kind? No. "Eat Pray Love"? Remember that?

I've read some poorly written novels in my time but these take the cake. It's like a teenage girl wrote down all her naughty, giny tingling fantasies and someone decided to publish it.

It reveals that women lead the way in sexual perversity.

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