Fifty Shades of Grumpy Reviews

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Curmudgeon-at-Large

I really got excited about turning my idea for Fifty Shades of Grumpy into a novel. It could even become a major motion picture!

Fifty Review1

I already had the basic formula sketched out. I then turned that sketch into an outline. Finally I set to work on a preliminary draft. Before going any further I thought it best to send the draft to selected reviewers to get input. I got back some of their comments and I see that I need to do a little more work.

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I have never read anything like it and hope I never do again. –New York Times

If you only read one book this year, don’t make it this one. –Washington Post

This is a book for which the words “out of print” will be a blessing. –Chicago Tribune

Spectacular! Sexy and erotic! Brilliant! A sensational read! These are the words I would use to describe some other book but not this one. –Los Angeles Times

The book should be made of toilet paper so that it would at least be useful for something. –Barron’s

Thinking of all the starving children in the world is preferable to reading this nonsense. –The Wall Street Journal

This book sucks! –Rolling Stone

Mixing the book with sewage would improve it. –The New York Review of Books

Yet another indication that America never mastered the English language. –Guardian (UK)

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The critics have spoken, the bastards!

Fifty Shades of Grumpy, NOT coming to a book store near you anytime soon; NOT to be a major motion picture.

Sigh.

39 thoughts on “Fifty Shades of Grumpy Reviews”

yeahanotherblogger on May 30, 2015 at 7:14 pm said:

I hadn’t laughed at all today . . . till I read this article.

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Debby Carroll on March 9, 2015 at 3:36 pm said:

I love these “reviews” more than anything else I’ve read today. Although I think I have one that could top yours. I’ve written a memoir about family dysfunction, Tales From the Family Crypt, about what happened as each of my parents and my husband’s parents died. While the parents are now gone, the adult children are still alive and well. Well, maybe not so well, as you’ll see. My brother-in-law, one of the characters (I use the term not loosely) in my story, has been stalking my book reviews on Amazon. He comments on every one, all the good ones and the other few negative ones written by other family members. His reviews are hilarious but Amazon keeps deleting them for inappropriate content. My favorite, one you could add to your list:

Christ 1 star
Hitler 5 stars

Seriously, I couldn’t make this up. But I will follow your blog to get the laughs I need to continue dealing with these characters. Thanks.

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on March 9, 2015 at 6:52 pm said:
  
  Thanks for liking my unlikable reviews. Anything to brighten someone’s day.
  
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Margie on March 1, 2015 at 6:08 pm said:

Maybe the reviewers simply thought you didn’t have enough content for ’50 Shades’ – perhaps ’25 Shades of Grumpy’ would be received better.

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on March 3, 2015 at 3:30 am said:
  
  Unfortunately, I have enough for 150 shades of grumpy. The reviewers have just added more.
  
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lameadventures on February 26, 2015 at 4:03 am said:

Diane Henders is right: you need to accentuate the positive. Fifty Shades of Grumpy is a multi-purpose book; read it, use it as a door stop and as mulch. For those pounding 5 Hour Energy: do all three at once!

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 26, 2015 at 1:17 pm said:
  
  Why didn’t I think of that – book, doorstop, compost?
  
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  - lameadventures on February 26, 2015 at 2:53 pm said:
    
    Because you have yet to publish your worst seller and I’ve already published mine?
    
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Diane Henders on February 26, 2015 at 12:01 am said:

Oh, come on, don’t lose hope! It’s all about spin-doctoring. For example, I’d say that The New York Review of Books quite definitively stated that Fifty Shades of Grumpy is so good it would even improve sewage. Spin, baby, spin!

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 26, 2015 at 2:22 am said:
  
  You’ve got me spinning so fast that now I’m dizzy and have to lie down.
  
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samanthamacmaster on February 25, 2015 at 7:03 pm said:

Reblogged this on fictionwriterwithablog and commented:
As part of “Re-blog Wednesday”, I chose Curmudgeon-as-Large. I chose him for 2 reasons, a) I love the word curmudgeon, and he does it so well; and, b) who can resist a muppet? Plus, I loathe 50 shades of gray. 50 shades of Grumpy, that I would read 🙂

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 7:27 pm said:
  
  Thank you for the re-blog and rest assured that I will still remain grumpy.
  
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Margo Karolyi on February 25, 2015 at 3:20 pm said:

Some of the worst written books in history (including one with a very similar name to your – have you thought of suing the author for infringement?!?!?) have sold millions of copies. I suggest you toss in regular bits of foul language (“Holy crap”, “Daggnabit”, “Up yours” come to mind), a scene or two of pain you’ve been asked to sign your agreement to (perhaps we could watch your hero [yourself?] squirm helplessly in a dentist’s chair or be physically ‘manipulated’ while strapped to a chiropractor’s table) and I guarantee – copies will fly off the shelves. Don’t give up. There’s an audience out there for this book. 🙂

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 6:59 pm said:
  
  Yes, there is an audience for this book but no one from the Spanish Inquisition is still alive.
  
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Nurse Kelly on February 25, 2015 at 2:59 pm said:

Ha Ha – sounds like you need to get to work on the next one

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 6:57 pm said:
  
  …or join a circus or go bowling.
  
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  - Nurse Kelly on February 25, 2015 at 8:00 pm said:
    
    Nah – You’ve got a good grumpy book in there somewhere.
    
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Jae on February 25, 2015 at 2:19 pm said:

What do the critics know? Those who can, do; those who can’t, write reviews.

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 6:56 pm said:
  
  No one should grow up wanting to be a critic.
  
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  - Jae on February 25, 2015 at 9:36 pm said:
    
    Not professionally, anyway.
    
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Elisa on February 25, 2015 at 11:59 am said:

the antidote for The Secret!

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 6:53 pm said:
  
  Looking for an antidote? Try Dr. Cur’s Cure-All™ (an older post).
  
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aFrankAngle on February 25, 2015 at 11:57 am said:

This is not the type of news to read to start one’s day … The cloudy of distraught will probably following me the entire day.

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 6:49 pm said:
  
  aFrank, is there a “cloud of distraught” day?
  
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  - aFrankAngle on February 25, 2015 at 6:55 pm said:
    
    March 26th
    
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    - Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 7:00 pm said:
      
      I’ve got the date marked.
    - aFrankAngle on February 25, 2015 at 7:01 pm said:
      
      … and I imagine the answer surprised you.
    - Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 7:02 pm said:
      
      Yes it did but I knew that you would be the one who would know.
UpChuckingwords on February 25, 2015 at 10:14 am said:

Fantastic!

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 6:48 pm said:
  
  I need you for a reviewer.
  
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  - UpChuckingwords on February 25, 2015 at 6:49 pm said:
    
    I might be too wordy
    
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Lynette d'Arty-Cross on February 25, 2015 at 3:20 am said:

Ha! 🙂

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 6:47 pm said:
  
  I believe that is what one reviewer said.
  
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  - Lynette d'Arty-Cross on February 26, 2015 at 5:12 pm said:
    
    🙂
    
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Carrie Rubin on February 25, 2015 at 1:06 am said:

Don’t give up. I have no doubt 50 Shades of Grumpy will find a home. And then those reviewers will have to eat their words while you bask in your published glory…

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 1:22 am said:
  
  I’m not so sure. I may have to give up and try bullfighting.
  
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  - Carrie Rubin on February 25, 2015 at 1:29 am said:
    
    Well, it’s always good to have a plan B.
    
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A.PROMPTreply on February 25, 2015 at 12:56 am said:

Hah! I love this!

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- Curmudgeon-at-Large on February 25, 2015 at 1:21 am said:
  
  I need to have you as a reviewer.
  
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