The Mister as Told by The Dom

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E.L. James is at it again.
More Dom:
Patreon: / domsmith
Website: www.dominic-noble.com/
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Merch: www.teespring.com/stores/domi...
Editor: sophiakricci.com
Original music by Il Neige: / djilneige

[@timothymclean]

In 50 Shades, it was plausible that Anastasia's infantilization was just a byproduct of how EL James imagines female virtue. But between emphasizing how small Alessia is, the child's nightlamp, and _the Spongebob Squarepants pajama bottoms,_ it feels a _lot_ more deliberate now.

[@DS-uh6ss]

The way she demonizes confident, self-assured women in all of her texts is the flip side of it. Women must be modest, demure, and self-deprecating. Women are only allowed to be confident if they're mouthing off to another woman who wants to fuck THEIR MAY-UN!

[@Xehanort10]

Which makes Alessia being sold into sex trafficking and Maxim using both that and her childlike nature to get her to have sex with him even worse.

[@Cailus3542]

Just when you think it couldn't get worse, she makes it worse.

[@Nerobyrne]

I'm surprised she's not a 10000 year old dragon

[@thatitalianlameguy2235]

@@Nerobyrne I'm just a little baby girl! zero? I'M A THOUSAND! NOPE-

[@izunahosaki6133]

I know you suffered for us, but just remember that for a lot of women like me, it feels so very cathartic to see someone be disgusted and horrified by these kind of stories and mentalities. It's like seeing someone get mad for us when we don't even have the energy to be mad anymore because we're so used to see these kind of tropes and mentalities throughout différent medias

[@adeer87]

I second this!

[@Remerdre]

Amen. It does give me hope just when I'm ready to go outside and set things on fire.

[@onbearfeet]

As a woman with abuse-related PTSD, I second this. It's incredibly validating to hear someone describe a situation similar to the one you survived as "awful" rather than "what are you whining about?" (My background doesn't resemble anything in this book, but Dom's reactions to more familiar situations in other books are a big part of why I follow him.) If it's any consolation, Dom, you actually are helping people when you are appalled by appalling things.

[@alarcon99]

Yup. THIS.

[@searchingfororion]

@@Remerdre Well worded. *Many* times (it's practically a catchphrase) the individuals around me will sense the shift in my, for lack of a better word, 'chi' and proclaim, "Remember - setting people on fire is *wrong.* "

[@DS-uh6ss]

I'm continually astounded at how Erika, a UK resident and citizen, writes about life in England like she's a 15-year-old who's never been there before but saw an Austen adaptation on telly once.

[@timothymclean]

If this hypothetical 15-year-old hasn't been to England, why would she watch telly and not TV?

[@DS-uh6ss]

@@timothymclean Erika would watch telly.

[@KristopherBel]

@@timothymclean because the person who wrote the comment is from England, sort of like if I were to talk about a hypothetical person from Spain I wouldn't have to do it in Spanish.

[@marocat4749]

Bold to asume whe did watch a jane austin adaptation

[@samuelbarber6177]

I’d say more like one or two scenes from Rebecca seeing as she took a name from it

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Erika Mitchel had thought to herself about how she could possibly make the power disparity between her leads any more uncomfortable, and eventually came to the conclusion of “I know! I’ll make him literal royalty, and I’ll make her an undocumented immigrant!”

[@timothymclean]

Technically just aristocracy. _Literal_ royalty is restricted to kings, emperors, some dukes, and their families.

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

@@timothymclean Fine, EFFECTIVE royalty.

[@henrygvidonas9573]

@@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick Her lawyer probably told her that she couldn't use William or Harry for her crappy BDSM-done-completely-wrong book because of personality/likeness rights... Just kidding! Kind of... but not really.

[@hiddenechoes]

🤣

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

@@henrygvidonas9573 More like Andrew, given his simultaneous purchase of a child’s night light and a prophylactic.

[@loyaultemelie7909]

She’s not like other girls, she has horrible ptsd♥️

[@gstonemeetsred]

🤣 🤣 🤣

[@Panda_Roll]

Baby got backstory ❣

[@Tareltonlives]

And trauma turns James on

[@adeer87]

Just girly things 💕

[@lulufan100]

What doesn't kill you makes you... sexy? 🤔

[@ffnendhgrgd]

The power disparity between a billionaire and a working class woman wasn't bad enough, so James went with an aristocrat and an undocumented immigrant. I think we all know her real kink.

[@krankarvolund7771]

What will be the next step? I bet for a historical romance between a master and his slave :p

[@adeer87]

@@krankarvolund7771 Don’t give her any ideas!

[@thegayghost872]

@@krankarvolund7771 I’m willing to bet money she has a book like that in progress right now

[@kaichen04]

@@krankarvolund7771 One of Brazil's most famous classic books, Slave Isaura.

[@Tareltonlives]

@@krankarvolund7771 I'm sure she's writing that now.

[@justme0910]

Can't wait for Mitchell's next book, which is probably gonna be about a woman who was literally raised by wolves being taken advantage of by the dictator of a medium-sized country or something, given her track record.

[@Romanticoutlaw]

hell, I'm ready for her to leap straight to scifi emperor of the known universe and a woman grown from a test tube just for him

[@vysharra]

@@Romanticoutlaw that one is her end game. She has to wait for new horrible words to be invented about incredibly toxic relationships for it to really match her vision.

[@3crowsinatrenchcoat]

I'd read that if at the end the woman guts him with her wolf family and takes over the dictatorship

[@grell5108]

Even better: If the god of the universe had a thing for a devout follower with Peter pan syndrome.

[@Blue_Lunacy]

@@Romanticoutlaw That was kind of the plot of Emperor of Dune.

[@metasequoiaglyptostroboides]

So Alicia has her mind blown by the ocean, while being from Albania with a very big coast line and at most 4 hours to the sea from any point in the country... Yeah, totally... And the rest is just disgusting as well. Thank you for suffering for us 😅

[@noahhobson4521]

EL James did all of her research on Albania by watching the movie Wag the Dog.

[@fyraltari1889]

How did she even get to the UK without seeing the sea?

[@MightyArgos]

I was about to make this point myself.

[@clouddd8053]

To be fair, the Albanian coastline is seas with smaller waves than the Atlantic Ocean but honestly I don’t know how she’s still a writer

[@Grim_Sister]

This is basically like an Israeli having their mind blown over hummus Or an Italian shocked by the art in the Vatican

[@Roseforthethorns]

“She’s not like that. Demure and totally focused on her job, Alessia seems reluctant to engage with me” YEAH MAYBE BECAUSE YOU HIRED HER FOR A JOB AND ARE NOW BEING A CREEPAZOID smdh I’m so sorry you had to read this

[@Shades14]

As much as I hate James and her work, she at least has me feel more confident in my writing skills even as just a humble fanfiction writer.

[@misscarolinasousa]

I kid you not: she is one of my inspirations to finally move past the fear of publishing something. If this garbage has an audience, there are readers out there for me too

[@stuffwithsoph8264]

FR, I'm an amateur writer and I want to be a writer and be able to make a living off of my work but I am so scared of being bad or mediocre, but then i'm like "okay but she's done it so i think im good" 💀

[@klaytonalexandermatthews2047]

@@stuffwithsoph8264 the book that did that for me is the smut novel about a hunky covid-19 virus that 'makes love' to the protagonist.... And I just ... Needed to lie down about hearing that

[@Thewritingelf]

@@klaytonalexandermatthews2047 That image… I don’t even need to really read this shit to know that if what I’m imaging is what’s in that book…..I might have to lay down as well LMAO.

[@KittyPieVibes]

@@stuffwithsoph8264 @Carolina Sousa YES, I’m not gonna say my writing is perfect at all but if 50 shades of all things can become a best seller shit let me take a stab at it, my stuff is Lord of The Rings in comparison

[@EricaPThompson]

I've decided that Ms. James isn't a bad author; she's actually an excellent programmer and all her novels were written by the AI she developed.

[@lostbutfreesoul]

Nah... they have better grasp of Paragraph Format.

[@DS-uh6ss]

@@lostbutfreesoul the fact that Erika usually tags one character's dialogue with another character's actions is a continual peeve.

[@searchingfororion]

Well thanks HAL.

[@chartypeplays2396]

Ah yes, good old MisogynyBot.

[@NWolfsson]

Considering I have recently twiddled around with AI Dungeon and managed to steer it to write good fiction and engaging smut, I'd say she isn't that great of a programmer.

[@cakt1991]

This just confirms the theory I had all along: she fell in love with 1970s/80s historical romance with all its toxicity, but the industry has moved on beyond that so, she tried to have her cake and eat it by doing all of this in a contemporary.

[@DS-uh6ss]

Her stuff reads 100% like those late-80s/early-90s Fabio bodice rippers combined with fanfic of the same era.

[@AnnekeOosterink]

I mean, those kinds of books are still available. She could definitely write for that market.

[@cakt1991]

@@AnnekeOosterink as a romance reader, I will say the traditional romance publishing market has changed a lot…especially since 2016 for obvious reasons. Less readers and authors want to romanticize toxic power dynamics, although it still exists in some corners of publishing, particularly in indie “dark” romance, as there’s always an audience for it. But I’d recommend looking up stuff about what authors have said recently in press for their books (plus Twitter). A good one is historical romance author Sarah MacLean discussing how the 2016 election inspired a revision of the book she was working on at the time to be less of a jerk.

[@Tareltonlives]

I completely believe that. she's one of the die-hards trying to keep the old toxic bodice-ripper tropes.

[@petrosinella]

I've read a few Harlequin books from the 80's, and I agree about the toxic relationships. However, those books were WAY better written than Erika's stuff. The other authors I read knew how to build sexual tension to the point where you're on the edge of your seat waiting for the actual sex to start. When it does, the author describes it in a way that turns the reader on. So, the toxic aspect fades into the background, and you can have fun with the fantasy.

[@valentinarunko67]

As a Croatian, I'm so annoyed at E.L. James for even marginally involving Zagreb (the capital of Croatia) in this dumpster fire she calls a book. 🙄

[@lelnel6242]

As someone who hates Zagreb, it deserved better than being in this book

[@valentinarunko67]

@@lelnel6242 *deserve. Ako ćeš biti trol na internetu, barem nauči pravilnu gramatiku, srećo. 😘

[@lelnel6242]

@@valentinarunko67 lol na početku sam htjela napisati 'it didn't derseve to be in this book' ali je to bilo previše dvosmisleno... Na kraju zaboravim izbrisati 'didn't'.

[@valentinarunko67]

@@lelnel6242 Hahha, kako se značenje lako promijeni 🙈😉

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

@@lelnel6242 ha ha! That’s some great shade on both things 😄

[@KyleRayner12]

The empty gun is unironically the funniest thing I've heard this week. It's like something out of an SNL sketch that goes on 4 minutes too long.

[@Arosukir6]

The three screams of "No!" really bring it home for me 🤣

[@mariefoose998]

Omg I couldn't believe such a scene made it past editing! Like, did the publishing company even LOOK at this book...? 😶😶

[@NWolfsson]

(imagine this situation in a low-end theater looking set) Alessia: Do not worry, everyone, the gun is empty! Anatoli: Drat, well I shall still try to shoot! Alessia: Please, no! He's my only family! Anatoli: Bang! Everybody: *screams and alarm as if it was the sound of the gun rather than Anatoli bratfully screaming the word* Alessia's father: I... I'm alive! Alessia: He's alive! Maxim: He's alive! Anatoli: Drat, he's alive! How is that possible?

[@Eloraurora]

@@NWolfsson This is such an improvement! The image of a bunch of community theater people playing this scene for laughs is amazing. ...for some reason I'm picturing stage!Maxim wearing a money-printed tracksuit and enormous sunglasses.

[@NWolfsson]

@@Eloraurora By the Spirits that's an absolutely perfect version of Maxim! I'd do Gucci personally, but straight-up money-print is really good!

[@Caernath]

Dom: “In the unlikely even that any snipers are watching me right now, please just take the shot.” Sniper hired by people fooled by Dom’s The Room video: “That would be too easy for you.”

[@BLZ231]

“Professionals have standards.”

[@juanortiz9123]

NEVER FORGET PRIMA APRILYS

[@helenacleveland3444]

They are empty. No, wait - NO, don't shoot! :D

[@EllieC130]

Wait, we have the finances to hire a sniper?!

[@greywalker505]

@@EllieC130 Wait, you guys have *finances?*

[@benzass95]

Hey Dom, there is a thing called "Broken Heart Syndrome" in the medical field. It usually applies to older recent widows and widowers that literally give up on life and die a couple days later because they cant stand living without their love.

[@peterknutsen3070]

Yeah. A few days later might make sense. Not 4 years later, until “broken” heart is an euphemism for him seeking escape from his sorrows in a cocaine habit of unholy magnitude, which then wears out his heart over the course of 4 years.

[@LaurenPebble]

@@peterknutsen3070 to my knowledge, doctors still count it as Broken Heart Syndrome for a few years after a person’s significant other passes/leaves. Days after is only in extreme cases.

[@peterknutsen3070]

@@LaurenPebble I sit corrected, then.

[@billuraral1870]

Dad Travelyen: *dies of a heart attack four years after the divorce* Maxim: It was heart break! It's Mum's fault for being a slut!!! Also; for some reason, I imagine Dad Travelyen being identical to Maxim but with a bushy moustace

[@radschele1815]

Hah... the broken heart Syndrome is not connected to death. It is connected to any break up or auf, where you may have actual symptoms of a hat attack. And one can see it in EKG graphs. It is not a heart attack as no arterias or venes are clogged. It is not connected directly to death, but it shows how much the psyche can influence the body.

[@kristinlundell9924]

This makes me feel like my worries about "not being good enough to write" almost evaporate >.

[@lelnel6242]

Never wrote a book, eng isn't even my first language, but this story gave me courage to start writing a fanfiction and one day I'm going to publish it on wattpad. To be fair I'm first going to write it like a screenplay and then change it into a book format, and see how that goes.

[@kristinlundell9924]

@@lelnel6242 heck yes! Come back and post a link, ok? :3

[@fruitygarlic3601]

@@lelnel6242 I think you'd like the book 'Of Mice and Men', if you haven't read it already. The prose was written to easily translate as a stageplay.

[@sigidaly9950]

Ngl Dom reading The Mister made me wanna write again fully out of spite. Problem is that this plus a bunch of actual play vids have been my only media consumption for a while which isn’t helping my writing all that much XD

[@Timothy4468]

Agreed. E.L. James is reassuring aspiring writers everywhere.

[@RobinNicoagain]

I had a chuckle when you mentioned the whole lordship thing in the beginning. Since James obviously does minimal amount of research, I can say that most English lords do not have money and fortune behind them these days. Only queen's family, friends and associates have any riches left among their titles. Most of the families just pass the lord title like a bit of family furniture. They just shrug and go on with their lives because you gain absolutelly nothing with it. My hubby's family has the title of duke and whenever they go to their old historic properties, the guides usually get excited to hear any old family stories that they have plenty of. :D The guides were also kind enough to let my hubby's gradfather to restricted parts of the property for a moment just because he lived there when he was a little and it cheered him up at the time.

[@sorryifoldcomment8596]

Yeah, I thought this book was set in the farther past due to all the "Lord = fabulously wealthy" shit...until I heard "his brother died in a motorcycle accident." 😂

[@jemdragons3120]

Oh that's so sweet though.

[@unhackerthelaziestbastardo6083]

Oh yeah, I remember that EL James basically made Maxim make a point of stating how *this* family wasn't poor.

[@theMadCEHMist]

So EL James, the author allegedly horrified at the idea anyone saw abuse in Fifty Shades, straight up wrote a rape scene in her next book… Yikes. 😬 But it’s ok because, even though Alessia was super drunk and super vulnerable, she totally wanted it so it’s fine. 😬😬😬

[@timothymclean]

"It's not rape if she actually wanted it." -EL James, probably.

[@DS-uh6ss]

"It's not rape if he's hot and rich!" "It's not rape if she comes!" - Erika and her idiot fans

[@abadenoughdude300]

Apparently it's only ra pe when the perpetrator is an ugly bastard, when it's a totally sexy prince charming the readers are supposed to have hots for then it's fine. 😑

[@amityislandchum]

GOD and it is so much more disturbing that instead of writing a scene where they both get drunk, go home, and fuck, she literally took the time to write in a scene of Maxim saying, "I am aware that you are drunk and unable to consent, and that you experienced a very traumatic event today, and it would be rape for me to sleep with you," FOLLOWED BY HIM DOING THAT. WHY. WHAT WAS GAINED BY LETTING THE AUDIENCE KNOW THAT HE MADE A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO RAPE HER.

[@amityislandchum]

@@timothymclean EL James, the US justice system, the US voters, and the US politicians. (I say US because that's the system I intimately know, but let's be real... It's everywhere.)

[@whiteraven562]

Broken Heart Syndrome (or Stress Cardiomyopethy) is a real medical condition, and it can be fatal. Though usually only in old people. EL James got one (1) thing right, ish.

[@Tareltonlives]

All she needed was to mention an underlying heart condition, or a weakened immune system, or a combination of factors. Like it made sense in Star Wars since it's someone who also just delivered twins. But James was too lazy

[@coffeewolfproductions9113]

@@Tareltonlives Not to mention the fact that Anakin strangled her to the point of passing out beforehand. I'm no doctor but even I know that that probably would have made her pregnancy and delivery 100 times more dangerous for everyone involved.

[@johannesseyfried7933]

@@coffeewolfproductions9113 On top of needing to come to terms with the Fact that your Husband not just attacked you, but is also working for a Sith-Lord *and* has just slaughtered his own Colleagues in cold blood.

[@anna-flora999]

​@@johannesseyfried7933 I mean, that's nothing new. She already knows that he also tends to murder the women and children, too

[@helloill672]

@@johannesseyfried7933 and the fact that the democratic system you tried so hard to work was taken over by that sith lord who made your husband evil

[@jessmorgan6732]

My favorite thing about this book is how often Maximuscle thinks about how attractive Alessia is and, in two or three separate instances later, thinks some version of "I want her. There. I've admitted it to myself."

[@barryallen2240]

I hate this book. There. I've admitted it to myself.

[@adeer87]

I want Maxipad to die. There. I’ve admitted it to myself.

[@d.o.m.i.]

😱😱😱

[@fruitygarlic3601]

me, having just finished my eighth litre of milk for the day: 'I want dairy. There. I've admitted it to myself.'

[@coffeewolfproductions9113]

Me eating my 5th cookie today: I want sweets. There, I've admitted it to myself.

[@JuanJose-bc2gs]

As someone with synesthesia (chromesthesia, which is the type of synesthesia Alessia has), it annoys me that this is the only example of synesthesia in media I can think of. Also, your current opening theme for Lost In Adaptation is blue with hints of green at the end to me. The music heard between sections is full on dark green.

[@jackmesrel4933]

There's an anime called Canaan, whose MC is a girl with synesthesia and is based on a Type Moon story so it's pretty good. Check it out, that way this terrible book won't be your only representation XD

[@timothymclean]

To my surprise, TV Tropes is insufficient to help me find additional media with synesthesiac(?) characters. Which seems like a pretty clear sign that either they're _super_ rare, or that's considered too nitpicky for even a community built around cataloguing random trends in fiction.

[@lorekeeper585]

There is a YA book called A Mango Shaped Space where the main character also has synesthesia similar to Alessia and also sees letters and numbers in different colors. The main character had an embarrassing moment as a kid where other kids laughed at her for using different colored chalk while solving a math problem and after that she went out of her way too hide her synesthesia from everyone. Eventually it's revealed and the plot goes from there. It's been several years since I've read it but that's the only other book I can think of.

[@JuanJose-bc2gs]

@@timothymclean I'd say it's probably the latter.

[@JuanJose-bc2gs]

@@lorekeeper585 That actually sounds like a really interesting read. Thanks for the recommendation 🙂

[@verbena208]

Mitchel missed a great opportunity here to create a memorable title. Something like Shades of Melody or the Hues of Love would have been a far better title than The Mister considering the girl can literally see colors.

[@belagrolaub8746]

you probably mean "can literally see music" because... a lot of people can see colours XD i'm sorry please have a nice day

[@TheMissileHappy]

No way, I can see colours too! xD

[@timothymclean]

Shades of Melody would be rejected on the basis of sounding like a 50 Shades spinoff rather than an unrelated romance novel. Though it wouldn't surprise me if Erica Mitchell had pitched the manuscript under that sort of title...

[@asthajindal5275]

Kind of think she meant "the master", then changed it last moment for whatever reason.

[@shymayfly2222]

I honestly didn't think EL James could get anymore disgusting or downright horrifying in her writing than the 50 shades nonsense but I stand corrected. The thing that horrifies me the most is just how infantalized the main lead actually is. I have no intentions of ever reading this book, and you are a saint for suffering through it, but just the few descriptions of her and how she's both treated by others and how she's framed by the narrative were enough to make me extremely uncomfortable.

[@0_isha_041]

A youtuber named Krimsonrouge made a more detailed video explaining/reviewing the book and throughout it he gets angry and though the book is disgusting, it’s amusing to see him go insane. His video is the first time I’ve ever heard of The Mister and watching it, like you, I couldn’t believe James could go worse. Not saying you should check it out because god The Mister disgust me but if you’re a fan of Dom then I suggest giving Krimsonrouge a watch if you like a 1 hour long man yells at a bad book

[@shymayfly2222]

@@0_isha_041 Thank you for the video suggestion. I'll definitely have to watch that one next.

[@jesusofsuburbia3675]

@@shymayfly2222 krimson makes like hours long very detailed reviews of horrible books. It's like having an audiobook but the reader is self aware to go "wtf am I reading"

[@NWolfsson]

EL James: Oh right, I heard the complains, my next work will be less problematic. Narrator: It was not.

[@donaldhysa4836]

SHe is into infants dont kink shame

[@abisnow1843]

I watched generallypooky's videos on the Mister, and in the latest one, they point out JUST HOW MUCH Maxim asks her permission before they sleep together for the first time. It's like James was so hung up on the fact that people interpreted 50 shades as abusive/SA-y that she wanted to make it ABSOLUTELY CLEAR that she is CONSENTING. Ignoring how vulnerable she is bc of all the alcohol she drank!!!!

[@becauseimafan]

OMG, what?!! LMFAO!!! 🤣🤣 What the hell, E.L.!

[@LixiaWinter]

It's chilling how accurate and nuanced her writing becomes, when she writes about abuse and trauma

[@coffeewolfproductions9113]

Uh do you mean the accuracy of how abusive it is, because from what I've seen of her she doesn't recognize it as abuse.

[@LixiaWinter]

This is exactly what I mean. She gives so much tiny, subtle details, but then she just "and it was true love, HAPPY END"

[@tristanhartup4936]

The scariest part is the fact that she portrays said abuse and trauma as true love, and I'm sitting here thinking, "What the fuck is wrong with this woman?!"

[@ezrastardust3124]

@@tristanhartup4936 I suspect she’s got more than a few skeletons in her closet

[@HattiesVlogs]

Just remembered that when he is going to rescue Alessia he takes time out of his day to check his instagram. Because priorities. ...

[@bookishnewt8468]

19:57 This alone could have been slightly better if: only Alessia knew the gun was empty, Anatoli intended on shooting her, and without a second thought Maxim went to protect her.

[@ameliebutler9104]

We have been torturing this poor man with EL James for the last half decade at this point, someone give him a sainthood

[@KurganMacLeod]

So, fun story here: one of my favourite book series of all time is The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper, its been one of my favourites since I was a small child (and it also has a shite adaptation if anyone with more money than me wants to take the hint). The thing is, the majority of the plots of books one and three of the Sequence takes place in a Cornish seaside village called *Trewissick* What I'm saying is that hearing the phrase 'Earl of Trevethick' caused me several levels of psychic damage and I can't focus on anything else except the question of whether E.L. James has read the Dark is Rising.

[@aandersson9181]

As a fellow TDIR and Susan Cooper fan; In my humble opinion, I *strongly* doubt E.L James has read any fiction that wasn't for sexually frustrated housewives.

[@Roseforthethorns]

The Dark is Rising is a MUCH BETTER SERIES by a MUCH BETTER WRITER. Now I want to reread those books again.

[@ronjaj.addams-ramstedt1023]

@@Roseforthethorns Truth!!

[@milliegarrett8459]

They are just Cornish names, that's why they sound similar. 'Tre' means homestead/town. It's a bit like the the 'ton', 'by', 'ham' endings elsewhere in England.

[@bradwolf07]

I've never read the books, but I saw the trailer for the movie. What I heard was that the movie was horrendous. I'm very glad to hear that the books were leagues better

[@lancerguy3667]

That was also what put me off about the book, more than... y'know... EVERYTHING about the book. Anna was naive to the point of farce, but I at least believed her age. She could, on the rarest of rare occasions, occasionally show some awareness of things going on around her, and even make an attempt at sass or sardonic with. (er, 'attempt' being the key word, there.) Alessia 'literally' comes across as a 10-year-old girl in a grown woman's body. At no point in the entire book does she ever even offer to be able to comprehend what's going on around her. It was just so deeply, deeply unsettling. I won't begrudge her the Spongebob pajama pants, though. I've had more than one girlfriend who would absolutely rock those as an adult.

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

Like Buffy in her yummy sushi pajamas 😄

[@stuffwithsoph8264]

@@stellabelikiewicz1523 Or Willow with ANY of the outfits she wore lol, fashion taste can be youthful and fine but at least Buffy and Willow acted their respected ages throughout the show

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

@@stuffwithsoph8264 oh my god, some of Willow’s outfits 😆! Good times, and one of my favorite characters in all of fiction despite some of those questionable hats!

[@stuffwithsoph8264]

@@stellabelikiewicz1523 Willow had questionable drip but she was unique, Buffy, Cordelia and Harmony were always dripped out though

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

@@stuffwithsoph8264 ooh, this is me learning a new term, “drip” as a term for I assume fashion sense? Very exciting!

[@Lucifersfursona]

Yyyeessss feed me the pain The horror The tactlessness The part time DJing

[@Lucifersfursona]

Linkara’s maxim voice is - canon - a perfect sendoff to the streams :)

[@Dormant_Chrysalis]

I am still completely amazed that she named the male protagonist "Trevelyan" - the surname of the protagonist in Dragon Age: Inquisition if a human is chosen. I have a sneaking suspicion that James came across a few too many "this is my Dragon Age OC" posts online and just stole the name. I think the Dragon Age: Inquisition hype might line up with when the book came out, too.

[@shinobisauren]

To me at least "Trevelyan" brings to mind the English civil servant/baronet that described the Irish potato famine as "the judgement of God sent the calamity to teach the Irish a lesson" long before it does Dragon Age, and considering the British setting and him being British aristocracy that seems like a more likely if even more baffling derivation. I sincerely hope the character doesn't wasn't named for that one, but I do feel like singing 'Fields of Athenry' whenever I hear him mentioned lol.

[@NotyourAngel162]

I was wondering if someone would catch that lol

[@joelmole3157]

Trevelyan also reminds me of Alec Trevelyan from Goldeneye and the lines “For England, James?” and “No… for me” become a perfect metaphor for this book

[@alexmcleod9078]

I first ran across the name Trevelyan in a mystery novel, it was the name of a construction company owner who had other dirty business going on. Apparently the name is Welsh origin and not unheard-of.

[@alexandrialeonora6542]

@@joelmole3157 That's literally who I think of whenever I hear the name "Trevelyan". In fact, the only person I will ever think of. Sean Bean in "007: Goldeneye."

[@bepisthescienceman4202]

10:23 I'm just imagineing maxim whining so much that the slavers get uncomfortable and leave

[@lindseyc9149]

That stand-off scene with the empty gun feels like it's right out of a parody. It's like that scene in Not Another Teen Movie where the mean girl dumps her water bottle on the lead girl, who is already wet, and everyone reacts in horror.

[@becauseimafan]

😂😂😂

[@hurricanechild217]

Dom, the fact that you're so willing to suffer so that we don't have to is very wonderful, the added content of watching you decent slowly into madness is also entertaining as well (In a lighthearted, I hope you genuinely feel okay type of way.)

[@trinaq]

Agreed, I love how Dom goes through so much dreck on behalf of us, and we're eternally grateful!

[@YEDxYED]

Descend*

[@laureneras9523]

It's why we raised so much many.

[@YourEvilHenchman]

the protag-kun in this story literally has a supervillain name. no, seriously, "trevelyan" is the name of the villain from goldeneye: alec trevelyan as played by sean bean.

[@Tareltonlives]

To be fair, he's pretty much a villain in this book too

[@becauseimafan]

*That's* where I'd heard the name before!! Thanks! Goldeneye was *such* a good Bond movie!! I hadn't even realized that Sean Bean was in it my first watch, despite my obsession with The Lord of the Rings. He was so good! Goldeneye, now _that_ is a good one to introduce people to James Bond movies. 😁

[@mateusmarinomunhol9747]

...and the name of the sir Hugh Pembroke's plantation in the chapter "Sugar Interest" in James Michener's Family saga historical novel "Caribbean".

[@prettyface146]

Your Albanian accent in that “epic standoff” elevated the material! I was DYING 😂

[@professoroat1310]

Do you think James knows that Albania has a coast on a much nicer sea? Or just chose a country at random and never googled it

[@sweetbunnybun]

I think she just picked a random EE country, maybe she saw sonewhere that the uk has an albanian diaspora or something. She prolly doesnt even know where is it or talked to a person from albania

[@thequeenofcringe1585]

Hey, give her some credit! She knows what the capital of Albania is.

[@billuraral1870]

She probably watched the Taken movies and took the Albanian represetetion at face value. Or, thinks place with a Muslim percentage= savage lands.

[@yltraviole]

To be honest, when I read about someone dying of a broken heart in fiction, I usually assume it's an euphemism for suicide or dying of drug addiction/alcoholism brought on by a depression resulting from heartbreak. It's still a bit cliché, and probably not a good way of representing mental ilness, but I'd never think to consider it an actual heart attack or something.

[@brookelynnwu8016]

It’s actually a medically recognized cause of death. Usually happens to older ppl with much weaker hearts tho

[@debymello4756]

@@brookelynnwu8016 chances can beraised by things like pre existing heart conditions, substance abuse, some types of medication or sometypes of chronic illness. Erika would likely describe any in agonizing detail in the "pity my dad" secssion, tho

[@denblakat9243]

great meow by Sir Terry at 17:34, deserves a spot on the meowscars

[@incitossol]

Dom “the things I do for charity and you beautiful watchers” Noble

[@gabbodelaparrawrites]

The fact that the earldom has "thick" in its name says a lot about her creativity. 😅

[@Xehanort10]

She couldn't help a reference to his dick size in his name apparently.

[@samuell.foxton4177]

Richard Trevithick was far from thick though, he built early steam engines

[@gabbodelaparrawrites]

@@samuell.foxton4177 You probably know more about that Earl than her because research is not a word she understands or acknowledges. #justsaying 😆

[@jtothep4234]

And he has the last name of a Bond villain.

[@kramermariav]

Trevethicc

[@shebjess]

*Hears loud meow* Me: HI, SIR TERRY!!

[@clutchingstars]

Just had surgery… can’t tell u how much I needed a laugh. Thx for not making me suffer alone!

[@Flareontoast]

Sending love, hopefully recovery goes smoothly!

[@thetypicallifeofcousins2703]

You are a saint for suffering through this for us, sir

[@SiraSpirit]

The standoff with everyone shouting "NOOO" at the empty gun is giving me big "My Immortal" vibes. It's that level of bad.

[@c.w.simpsonproductions1230]

You want painful? Try being at the in-person book presentation. I was the only male there besides the presenter, rest were middle and older aged women. And the event had such little turnout that they had to move from an auditorium to a smaller room in a different building. But Dom built her up so much that I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet E.L. James.

[@DS-uh6ss]

Is it wrong that I'm delighted by a mediocre turnout for Erika's abuse-porn?

[@antonakesson]

So how was it? Riveting I imagine......

[@c.w.simpsonproductions1230]

@@antonakesson There’s a recording of it on my channel.

[@Timothy4468]

Not going to lie, I genuinely laughed at the "weaponized privilege" passage. It actually felt like a weird moment of self-awareness from James, and caught me totally off guard.

[@greengreysolarpunk4036]

I’m sorry to say I’ve been ruined by the Internet and when I saw the title my reaction was not “Oh Dom’s describing the plot!” But “Oh! This is written from the perspective of the male lead!” because I come from fan fiction hell and I know EL James well enough to know the girl isn’t the dom…

[@chach1579]

10/10 segue into the ad read. Also, I thank you for your sacrifice, Dom. It couldn't have been easy to make your way through this book and give us a run down so we didn't have to.

[@mistyeyedreamer]

I remember when Jenny Trout did a read of the book, they determined a few chapters in that this book is almost definitely a modern Poldark fan fiction. At least she finally left Twilight alone?

[@oli_kate]

Putting your cat into the ad read is very smart... Very evil but very smart.

[@zuulmeister8409]

I remember the moment I was going through Dom's reading of this story and realized "oh, this is just Poldark".

[@RabbitTeaPot]

Someone out there made a video thesis called “Born sexy yesterday” on YT & it was about the fifth element but they did say that was just their thesis example, other examples are seen through out diffrent forms of media…and it encapsulates the main female character perfectly. Someone who (in this case at times but in the fifth element through out) is of adult age physically and sexually but behaves in a way that is like they were born yesterday….and it’s WEIRD once it’s pointed out. Like I can’t watch that film in the same way since…and I’ve seen people irl who behave like this, have relationships like this, it’s all so very very VERY weird.

[@nicole-ls4jb]

A couple of things: I'm afraid to say that, for some of us, we like watching you "suffer" because your frustration is rather cathartic. And funny. You make us laugh 😂 Secondly, I really liked a lot of the production of this video! I liked the rainy backdrop you had behind the text, the cute lead-in to the sponsor part, the fact that you just held Sir Terry during part of the video, and your explanation of the unloaded gun 😅

[@Crazael]

21:14 If I were writing that scene, I would have the gun go off because the guy had checked and noticed it was empty and reloaded it before hand. Then he gives her a "Did you seriously think I wouldn't notice you emptied the gun?" look. That, or there was a bullet in the chamber that she know about so she just emptied the magazine.

[@NWolfsson]

"This morning, in Zagreb [...]" Considering they probably travelled by car, and according to Google Maps, that means Anatoli had about 10 hours to check his gun and replace the bullets. TEN HOURS! Did EL James even check the time and distance between Croatia and Albania? This man is supposed to be a dangerous trafficker, not a silly Scooby Doo villain! If at least Alessia had empty the gun ten minutes ago, at the last stop before going to her father's house, that'd only be slightly disappointing.

[@TeamIzlude]

When you said the male lead's name, I literally said - out loud - "no way that is his name"

[@tristanhartup4936]

Maxim Trevelyan, sounds like a supervillain name.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

That interruption from the kitty while doing the ad was amazing.

[@enbyarchmage]

Seeing Dom being low-key possessed by Cthulhu bc of bad writing really feels very good for some reason 😈 Don't worry Dom, your reviews of actually good books can be just as entertaining as their fire-and-brimstone counterparts 😁🤗

[@lilybliblablubb5023]

To be fair, there is broken heart syndrome. But it's rather usual with parents losing children or partners suffering after the others death after decades of being a happy couple. You now sometimes the husband dies three days after his wife or something, that is broken heart syndrome. No physical cause, simply so much pain that you get a heart attack. But it's rare and there needs to be a true real bond, not the bs E L James calls "love"

[@stellabelikiewicz1523]

“Wounded ego syndrome,” perhaps 😁🤔

[@Tolly7249]

I spent the entire episode facepalming and yelling in various levels of grossed out... And then in came Il Neige with a Beatles-style parody and I almost cried from laughing. God I love this channel.

[@Shadow1Yaz]

I've heard a theory that Emperor Palpatine used the force to drain the life out of Padme to make Vader think she died cuz of his actions. Not sure if that is what Lucas intended but I thought it was interesting

[@Tareltonlives]

I think the combination of emotional shock (husband becomes an abusive mass murderer, government turns into dictatorship) and physical stress (pregnancy with twins in a less than ideal facility) would be enough anyway. Besides, the less to do with Rise of Skywalker the better.

[@Shadow1Yaz]

@@Tareltonlives I believe you, having twins increases the chances of complications and from the way her death scene was portrayed, I think it's highly probable that massive blood loss also contributed. I just remember hearing that theory and being like, "huh..."

[@Tareltonlives]

@@Shadow1Yaz Yeah, it would be in-character. I've also heard that Anakin instinctually reached out to the force to her, and Palpatine used that to kill her. My pet theory is that Palpatine kept Anakin alive not only through machines but through the Force, preventing him from dying of grief too.

[@Shadow1Yaz]

@@Tareltonlives OOOH! That theory about keeping Anakin alive makes a lot of sense!! With that much physical damage, not having the strength (emotional/physical) could do him in and it makes sense that Palpatine did that! Devious! :O

[@tristanhartup4936]

I think Rise Of Skywalker confirmed that.

[@tonieartemis]

Dom, now that you've mentioned it, you HAVE to do a Lost in Adaptation of Beastly. I just read the book, and it will live rent free in my head until you talk about. I almost couldn't believe what I was reading.

[@airari24]

I think he may have one. I have a vague memory of watching that video (though it could be misattributed to him)

[@ashmondthesoutherntrashmon2210]

i appreciate the new format. sorry i couldnt watch the livestreams, but im glad im still able to see your suffering lmao. thanks for the upload dom :]

[@yukishikabane]

Funfact: I read 50 shades in middle school and even then knew it was hot garbage because I was the antisocial child who spent their lunches at the library. I legit read so much (I don't do it much as an adult) that I felt my eye twitch everytime the books got truly awful. I've seen better writing from a ya novel about a teenager falling for a civil war soldier ghost who died in his early 20s (God awful btw)

[@happyjellycatsquid]

Funfact: Im gonna need the title of that confederate nightmare of a YA novel for… science?

[@yukishikabane]

@@happyjellycatsquid rebel spirits by Lois ruby. Scholastic sold the shit for 10 usd. It's no longer available from their site tho

[@js66613]

Oof. Antisocial personality disorder is a thing, so I honestly don't feel comfortable reading it used as that. You're probably introverted as opposed to antisocial. But also, how the heck was it in your middle school? That's not a book for middleschoolers. Heck, that's not a book for anyone, but...

[@happyjellycatsquid]

@@yukishikabane Love that Scholastic published this bloody nonsense, based

[@mateusmarinomunhol9747]

i was too the antisocial kid who spent the lunch in the library.

[@AlorrinINK]

Dom...Dom...Dom... my dude, you need a juice box, a cookie, and a consensual hug. That book took SO much out of you, more than it ever had right to. But, you are greatly appreciated for reading it and suffering through it so we didn't have to. Though, like I’d said before, I enjoyed suffering through the live readings. So much (tortured) fun.

[@ashlingteirney7543]

I have to say watching your streams of reading this has been so cathartic as a woman. It can be hard to muster the anger at these tropes sometimes that they deserve and most of the time I just get resigned to it so it's nice seeing someone blow up about the bullshit. Feels very validating, so while I am very sorry you had to suffer through this awful book I do appreciate your reactions.

[@adeer87]

Very true

[@acatnamedbeef]

There is something called the "broken heart syndrome", maybe he was referring to that (I doubt it tho).

[@NWolfsson]

I mean... It would be more coherent narratively (I know real life is complex, but we're talking writing, you have to take shortcuts) if said father wasn't presented shortly after as the kind of person to _bring his son to a brothel to teach him the intricacies of love._ I have a hard time imagining someone who does that being so infatuated with their significant other to die of grief.

[@amityislandchum]

Doctor here -- and also someone who suffered from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, aka Broken Heart Syndrome! It is indeed a thing, but it's defined by a sudden, immense stress (physical or emotional) causing an abrupt enlargement and failure of the left ventricle. It's not something that would occur 4 years later. (Incidentally, it actually *could* happen in the case of Padme, but that doesn't make George Lucas any less of a dumbass.) People can definitely suffer from a "failure to thrive" after losing their partner, and men are especially susceptible to this since they rely on women to do literally EVERYTHING for them (cook, clean, make doctor's appts., keep track of medication, raise children, etc.).

[@Tareltonlives]

@@NWolfsson That's the plot hole there- it made sense in Star Wars, since it's also someone whose undergoing severe physical stress with delivery. Not so much here as it's simplified and the character isn't remotely nuanced or emotional.

[@judeconnor-macintyre9874]

"dead of a broken heart" says the robot.

[@vanessar.6085]

I saw "The Mister as Told By The Dom," then "PAIN." This sounds about right, all things considered.

[@carapatel2214]

I was originally watching along with the live show readings of the book but I had to give up because I found the mishandling of sexual asault so triggering, so thank you so much for making these summary videos. I don't know how she could possibly pass this garbage off as romance.

[@CameoAmalthea]

Fifty Shades of Grey’s popularity is explicable. Domward (dominant Edward) was a VERY popular sub genre of Twilight fanfic at a time when Twilight was very popular. James therefor had an insanely large following from this fandom who bought 50 Shades making a hit upon release and generated buzz whereby other people read it because it was popular to see what the fuss was about/because everyone else was reading it. It also was explicitly sold as porn for women, and women don’t have things for them. Female sexuality is taboo and seen as something that doesn’t exist, the cultural framework is men like porn, men like sex, women like pleasing men and put up with sex. Women obviously can like sex and have their own desires and something mainstream that caters to their desires that’s popular (ie not seen as fringe or trashy like paperback romance novels) was intriguing. For all it’s flaws, 50 Shades does give readers a self insert for a domination fantasy (the whole book being that fantasy). Unfortunately, the book frames the domination/non consent fantasy as a healthy ideal relationship and thereby romanticized abuse. But it’s popularity does make sense. Unfortunately. More unfortunately there are actually amazing works out there that fall under Twilight Fanfic and I’m BEGGING you to read “Luminosity”

[@josephdavis9234]

It's rare that I see a Luminosity shout-out in the wild, and it's always great.

[@Kateiswriting]

Thank you for this thoughtful comment. I remember when 50 Shades came out a lot of the discussion was about female sexuality, especially for middle aged women who are often seen as nonsexual beings. And tbf it's ridiculous the way society tends to assume that a woman reading E.L. James wants that relationship to happen to her IRL, the way they wouldn't about a man watching porn. It's darkly ironic that the series that made a bunch of real women feel empowered to reclaim their sexuality featured a sexually naive woman rendered powerless by the narrative but there you go. I don't like the books by any means and have really enjoyed Dom tearing into them. But I think a lot of the wider criticism around them lacks nuance. Kind of like how the problem with the Twilight books was never *really* that Edward sparkled but people remember that way more than his controlling behaviour.

[@SkySong6161]

Luminosit for the win.

[@ttthecat]

Who is the author? There are a lot of out of books with the title luminosity on kindle I can't figure out which one it is your referring to? I would like to try your recommendation.

[@SkySong6161]

@@ttthecat Luminosity is a Twilight fanfic, thus why it's not showing up on the Kindle. 🙂 If you're still interested it's on AO3.

[@BLZ231]

And what’s really scary is that despite how awful the male lead in this book is, based on your descriptions it sounds like he’s still a marginally better person than Grey.

[@MusicoftheDamned]

Lol at that "tense" scene towards the end with the emptied gun. Somehow I am still surprised the "child"'s father didn't just automatically shoot Anatoli after being told that the gun had no bullets, but that likely would have been too logical for a story clearly fatally allergic to it. I can't wait for E. L. James's next book to have the female protagonist be a cheerful, child-like literal slave since that seems to be what she's ramping up to unfortunately. All of the creepiness in this book isn't otherwise surprising given what a terrible person she revealed herself to be publicly while touring for her _50 Shades_ books.

[@valentinarunko67]

Can we all just appreciate the amounts of psychological torture that Dom experiences for our entertainment? 💙

[@szaboluca5536]

The "falling in love over an umbrella" part made me think of Miraculous, and I just wish I could stab myself in the brain for making that association💀💀

[@SJ-jq2rt]

Can I say how much I appreciate "Mean Mr. MAXIM' Song!!!!

[@anikibailey4624]

do you know if it's a parody of a real song? It sounds familiar but I don't know where from

[@atiredfloridian777]

You sir, are a saint for suffering through all of this for charity. You're a good man, Dominic, you're a rare gem.

[@Soguwe]

You'd be surprised how many people die of a broken heart. It's mostly a condition befalling the elderly, but can happen to younger people too.

[@majlordag1889]

animals too I believe

[@tv_tim]

That was one of the best "Now for a word from our sponsor" messages I've seen in a KZbin video.

[@maladypond]

As much as I can't stand James...'s writing, at least Dom's rants are amusing. And relatable. And then there's Il Neige's delightful song and the adorable appearance of feline cuddliness! 💖💖

[@myridean2k4]

Thank you, Dom, for giving us a preview of what we're both in for the next few months (albeit if you need more recovery time between sex reads, this could take another year.) but we're here for it. Thank you also for posting this synopsis because I wanted to link to your last reading/reaction but realised that anyone would've had to know how the plot developed up to that point so all I could do was post my utmost gratitude for a bang up job. I'm still laughing at that one line paraphrased, "The ACLU is depending on us to get through this sex scene" LOL!

[@Glimare]

Sir Terry really wanted your attention this time. Maybe he was saving you from suffering through this project. Good kitty.

[@Amandoop]

I recently worked with someone who's last name was trevithick. I could barely keep a straight face!

[@Jixa15]

Every time I hear Maxim's full name I think of Dragon Age Inquisition cause the male human's set name is Maxwell Trevelyan. Does have me wondering if this started as a dragon age fanfic.

[@myheartismadeofstars]

Nope, apparently Poldark.

[@JennieOkami]

At the beginning of the video. "Oh Dom who hurt you to wish for snipers?" After video "oh that's who...."

[@virahpayam]

"No matter how much a fan base likes you, they will always jump at the chance to see you in agony." 😆👌🏽💯

[@tini243]

I laughed tears at the shootout scene, hilarious!

[@romankotas448]

(Grabs comfort blanket) “Lets’s do this.”

[@astrinymris9953]

Sir Terry Pratchett is so sweet, helping defeat the KZbin algorithm with the power of his cuteness! Also, Il Neige has outdone himself with the outro song.

[@AvatAR42420]

E.L. James: famous author or potential lifelong payday for a psychologist; you make the call!

[@harrietpotter649]

7:30 "He's 28 and believes a broken heart is a fatal medical condition" A broken heart is a fatal medical condition. It's called broken heart syndrome. It can literally kill you.

[@sirloss3080]

the song at the end of this one killed it

[@Jedermeister]

Ah the Dom! I enjoy your pain. Love from the homeland **sings god save the queen**

[@askarsfan2011]

See, even the cat knew he had to be in the video. LOL

[@jessz7819]

Dom, I am so sorry for all the suffering you had to live through to bring us this, but I appreciate it endlessly. These videos are so cathartic in every way and I can already tell this is going to be in my regular rotation now. Hearing you tear apart these kinds of books is a very welcome reminder that the world still has some very good people in it. And hearing every possible bastardization of Maxims name is comedy gold

[@laurenquigley6599]

May all the God's forever be your Allies for this heroic task.

[@SilverDragonJay]

I love the gun part, it went on longer then I was expecting and it made it at least 40% better then it if had just stopped at Alessia jumping in front of uh...the love interest (can't remember his name for the life of me). Also, good on you for raising that $44k, that's a decent amount!

[@user-yc8jm7lw7r]

I know that you are suffering through this and I sympathise. However, for some inexplicable reason the way you and your guests are reading this is highly entertaining. I must thank you double since, I had a terrible family event about the time you started reading this. Without this literary car wreck I would not have made it through. Now that I am facing a terrifying future for another reason I am thank full you are still working through this book. Well, up till now. This distraction is oddly soothing. Thank you, thank you.

[@POLE7645]

One thing that gives me hope, though. Back in 2019, when I was travelling, I saw copies of this everywhere, including airports. I travelled two weeks ago and visited several bookstores, and I didn’t encounter a single copy. Not even at the airport. I’m guessing either it didn’t sold all that well, or whatever popularity this book ever had was very fleeting (and judging from this video and KrimsonRogue’s, this isn’t a book that’s good at keeping your attention).