Everyone is talking about it. It’s been touted as “porn for housewives” (ugh) and has been said to spice up/save marriages. With all of that going for it, how could I possibly resist?!? (note the sarcasm here lol) However, I did let a friend talk me into giving Fifty Shades of Grey a try and let me just say, I have some very mixed emotions about it.
When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.
Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.
Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.
This book is intended for mature audiences.
If you haven’t read Fifty Shades of Grey, let’s just say it is not for the easily offended, prim and proper crowd (there is nothing wrong if you fit into one of these categories; I’m just saying to take heed of my words). There is a lot of graphic sex in Fifty Shades of Grey, along with a somewhat light exploration into BDSM (I say light because they barely scratch the surface of the types of “torture” that BDSM can involve).
Now with all of that being said, I have to admit that for such a “grown up” subject, Fifty Shades of Grey is written with a very immature voice; which I found to be rather off putting. Maybe it was done on purpose to show how inexperienced Anastasia, who narrates the story, is or maybe I’m trying to give her too much credit for how awful the writing is; either way it makes for a very hard read. The constant repetition in many of the scenarios left me rolling my eyes. I’d find myself saying “Here we go again…Ana is going to do ‘this’ and then Christian is going to do ‘this’ and then ‘this’ will happen”. It became insanely predictable, so much so that I tried to start Fifty Shades Darker, the second book in the Fifty Shades series, and had to put it down after a few chapters; I needed a serious break from James’ writing style.
So here is where I change course a bit, because for all of its faults, I actually somewhat liked Fifty Shades of Grey. I know you probably think me insane after all the ragging I did on it, but there are some redeeming qualities about it. First of all Christian is a great character. He’s sounds like this amazingly charming and sexy man with a troubled past, that you can’t help but want to try and “fix”. In fact his secrets are what makes me want to finish the Fifty Shades series; I’m dying to know everything he’s hiding. It really is no wonder Ana falls for him and finds him so irresistible; I don’t see how many could resist him.
The other good thing about Fifty Shades of Grey is all the hot and steamy sex Ana and Christian have. That is if you’re into that sort of thing…ahem. While at times it does get to be a bit much (I’m pretty sure a scene or two could’ve been left out lol), it does serve as a nice distraction from the complaints I voiced earlier in this review.
Well after this somewhat bi-polar review you’re probably left asking yourself “Well…should I read Fifty Shades of Grey or not?” Let me answer that for you – read it. At the very least it’s worth a read to see what everyone is talking about and chances are you’ll enjoy it more than me, since most people I know did. It really is great, mindless reading…the ultimate guilty pleasure. If you go in not expecting anything but something fun to read, then chances are you’ll end up loving enjoying it!
Read Order for Fifty Shades
Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades Freed
Fifty Shades Trilogy