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.
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.
My Review
I had no idea this was originally a fan fic for Twilight. I'm glad I didn't because i'd have never bought this book. I'm not a Twilight hater at all, but I've already stepped inside that world and when I start a new book I want a new story. FSoG was indeed a new reading experience and I honestly don't know what I feel about this book in an overall way.
Firstly, the writing style for me is so immature considering the book's adult content. A HUGE turn off. Let's talk about Ana.
Her repeated use of the same phrases over and over again well and truly grated on my every nerve. It became so bad at times I squirmed. I should have been squirming because of other things but most scenes instantly lost their power when Ana muttered in her childish mind 'Oh my'.
How is it that this man with so much depth and so many shades of interesting has found himself 'beguiled' (a word so overused through out this book) with such a flat and boring woman? I could see her lack of experience being a new and exciting thing for Mr Grey. It's a control freak's wet dream. But still... *YAWN*.
Ana does surprise me at times - especially during her emails - with her witty sense of humour. But in every scene in which Ana was in the same room with Grey, I could only see her as dull and I fail to see why Grey is so caught up in her.
As for the nature of this book, I get it. I really do. I understand the mechanics behind BDSM and the connection between trust and control. I didn't find him to be a monster at all, which many do. I guess at times his actions bordered on abusive but a book is such a great tool, allowing readers to experience things. Not every book has to be about good guys and good girls. I'm not ashamed to admit I enjoy a book with a controversial subject at hand. For those reasons, I found this book extremely interesting.
Grey is your cliche rich guy with a dark secret but every character is based on a cliche of some sort, so that did not put me off at all. He refers to himself as fifty shades of fucked up and that for me made him vulnerable. I'd be smitten with him in the real world too so I completely understand how Ana is so head over heels. Shame she's such a bore. Though saying that, at times near the end of the book, Ana became stronger and more powerful and I enjoyed that side of her.
As for James' writing style, it isn't for me. I enjoyed her story, but I find it incredible that she was published. The book appears to have not been edited at all. The overuse of words, phrases and descriptions desperately needed seeing to and had they have been, the writing would have flowed better. James' writing broke every rule of Good Writing 101 and whilst i'm all for breaking rules, in this case, it reduced the quality and maturity the book deserved.
The sex scenes were explicit although i'm sure they could have been much more graphic if we'd have been delved into the darker parts of BDSM. It was the right amount though. I did find towards the end I was breathing a sigh of relief when a scene didn't include them being intimate but I guess that's what erotica is all about.
I always wish that the love interests in YA book were a little spicier but couldn't stand to read a book that was completely based on graphic sex scenes so FSoG for me was a nice even ground. There was a story behind it to some extent.
Overall I have given this book 3 stars and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. It has lost a star for the poor writing skills and another for Ana's character. She could have been more well developed.
This book is worth a read, if only for the new experience but it could have been better.
Firstly, the writing style for me is so immature considering the book's adult content. A HUGE turn off. Let's talk about Ana.
Her repeated use of the same phrases over and over again well and truly grated on my every nerve. It became so bad at times I squirmed. I should have been squirming because of other things but most scenes instantly lost their power when Ana muttered in her childish mind 'Oh my'.
How is it that this man with so much depth and so many shades of interesting has found himself 'beguiled' (a word so overused through out this book) with such a flat and boring woman? I could see her lack of experience being a new and exciting thing for Mr Grey. It's a control freak's wet dream. But still... *YAWN*.
Ana does surprise me at times - especially during her emails - with her witty sense of humour. But in every scene in which Ana was in the same room with Grey, I could only see her as dull and I fail to see why Grey is so caught up in her.
As for the nature of this book, I get it. I really do. I understand the mechanics behind BDSM and the connection between trust and control. I didn't find him to be a monster at all, which many do. I guess at times his actions bordered on abusive but a book is such a great tool, allowing readers to experience things. Not every book has to be about good guys and good girls. I'm not ashamed to admit I enjoy a book with a controversial subject at hand. For those reasons, I found this book extremely interesting.
Grey is your cliche rich guy with a dark secret but every character is based on a cliche of some sort, so that did not put me off at all. He refers to himself as fifty shades of fucked up and that for me made him vulnerable. I'd be smitten with him in the real world too so I completely understand how Ana is so head over heels. Shame she's such a bore. Though saying that, at times near the end of the book, Ana became stronger and more powerful and I enjoyed that side of her.
As for James' writing style, it isn't for me. I enjoyed her story, but I find it incredible that she was published. The book appears to have not been edited at all. The overuse of words, phrases and descriptions desperately needed seeing to and had they have been, the writing would have flowed better. James' writing broke every rule of Good Writing 101 and whilst i'm all for breaking rules, in this case, it reduced the quality and maturity the book deserved.
The sex scenes were explicit although i'm sure they could have been much more graphic if we'd have been delved into the darker parts of BDSM. It was the right amount though. I did find towards the end I was breathing a sigh of relief when a scene didn't include them being intimate but I guess that's what erotica is all about.
I always wish that the love interests in YA book were a little spicier but couldn't stand to read a book that was completely based on graphic sex scenes so FSoG for me was a nice even ground. There was a story behind it to some extent.
Overall I have given this book 3 stars and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. It has lost a star for the poor writing skills and another for Ana's character. She could have been more well developed.
This book is worth a read, if only for the new experience but it could have been better.
- Paperback: 528 pages
- Publisher: Vintage; 1 edition (April 3, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0345803485
- ISBN-13: 978-0345803481
