Fifty Shades of Grey: The #1 Sunday Times bestseller (50 Shades Trilogy, #1)

by E L James

MORE THAN 100 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

When literature student Anastasia Steele interviews successful entrepreneur Christian Grey, she finds him very attractive and deeply intimidating. Convinced that their meeting went badly, she tries to put him out of her mind - until he turns up at the store where she works part-time, and invites her out.

Unworldly and innocent, Ana is shocked to find she wants this man. And, when he warns her to keep her distance, it only makes her want him more.

As they embark on a passionate love affair, Ana discovers more about her own desires, as well as the dark secrets Christian keeps hidden away from public view ...

• ISBN10: 0099579936
• ISBN13: 9780099579939
• Publish Date: 12 April 2012 (first published 1 January 2011)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Cornerstone
• Imprint: Arrow Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 560
• Language: English

Reviews

[booksandcats]

It is a decent book for what it is, an erotic romance novel. I like the chemistry between Anastasia and Christian, the sex scenes are quite steamy. I think the storyline is interesting enough, nothing too spectacular, but not bad.

However, I have several little issues with this:

There are several little continuity errors, that should have been noticed in editing, like they are taking a bath together, and with no change of location or moving in the bathtub (that is filled with water), she pleasures him orally. How? I don't think she is able to breath underwater...

The language is soo repetitive so often. I lost count of how many time either of them "breathed" something. There are other words, other ways to put that. Also, who refers to the voice or whatever inside of them as "their inner Goddess"?

The plot at the end. I mean, come on. Though I don't really know why I bother, this book has been out for so long, most people know the plot, especially after the movie came out. But let's be correct here. So. The ending. She literally asks him to show her everything, to hurt her. So he does. And she says stop. She can't take it. He stops, he tries to console her, to care for her. And she is angry and disgusted... that he did exactly what she asked him to do? That's just stupid. There are plenty of reasons why I would break up with him, and she mentions quite a lot of them several times, but him following her request isn't one of them. I mean, she tried it, she can't handle it. Fine. Tell him that, tell him you can't accept that and you will have to figure out where this leaves you. But don't leave angry because he did what you asked him to do. That's just annoying.

So, I kind of think it's a decent enough book, again, for what it claims to be. Several little things I don't like (not all of them listed as nobody wants to read all of that lol), but not terrible as a whole.

If you like some steamy hot romance that basically centers around sex and plays with aspects of BDSM, and you don't expect a literary masterpiece, you will probably enjoy this. If not, this book is not for you.

[leahrosereads]

So, I tried this book years ago and hated it. It's actually the reason I assumed I didn't like the romance genre. But this year, I tried the genre again and fell in love with a few books.

So, I thought I'd try this one again.

Still hated it.

[kymmiejournals]

Love the story itself! Read the 3 books first before watching the movie and nothing beats reading the books than watching it because the movie tends to remove other parts or important details.

[angelarenea9]

This review is posted on Reading with AngelaRenea


There are so many reviews that sing this books praise, and just as many scathing reviews that tear it apart at the seams. This is neither of those. I did not enjoy this book, so much that it took me 5 years to work up the willpower to finish it. It was not the sex scenes that made this hard. I am not squeamish. I just had trouble with the astoundingly poor writing. I went into this book with high expectations, having been recommended to me by a huge number of people. I was very excited because many of those people were inspired to read (something that they do not normally do much of at all) by this book. I spent a few months picking away at it until I eventually filed it way on my long term hold shelf. 5 years later, rejuvenated, I picked it back up determined to finish it and get it off my currently reading! I did find it easier to stomach the second time around. Perhaps it was because I went in with realistic expectations, or maybe it just gets better as you go, but I finally finished the book. The verdict is in: it was better than I originally thought. I found myself interested in Christian Grey, the broody millionaire (billionaire?) and his thinly veiled past. I can understand the reason that many readers found this book alarming, fantasizing an over controlling significant other. I do think that this story walked the line of choice and abuse, but I think that at the end of the day it was honest in walking that line, because many of us find ourselves walking that same (or similar) line. I have never experienced a BDSM relationship, and would not disrespect that lifestyle in making judgments about the, excuse the pun, shades of gray that entails (or doesn't). I had much more of a problem justifying the terrifying fastness and intensity that these people fell into this story, the vast number of 'oh my's and the impossibility of ignoring the fact that this is a published Twilight fanfiction


Do you think this book walked the line or crossed it? How do you feel about books that inspire people to read, even if they may not be your favorite book?

[Vicki]

3.5 stars

[Katie King]

**2 Stars**

I'm not quite sure how stuff like this gets published.

The pacing was extremely slow. The novel seems like it takes place over something like 4 weeks yet it drags on ENDLESSLY. Apparently we need minute-by-minute transcription of Ana's days.

The dialogue was forced and choppy. If I read the words "jeez" or "inner goddess" or gasping ever again, it'll be WAY too soon. Kate's relationship with Ana was so ridiculously forced. Why exactly are they friends? Why is Ana friends with anyone? It seems like

The scene transitions were vague. One line they're in bed, the next line it's the next day and she's at work. What??

The plot was pretty random and poorly developed. I enjoyed the non-sex scenes a lot more. The sex was boring and very chaste for a BDSM book. I haven't read a lot of erotica but from what I understand it's supposed to be pretty vivid. This is the opposite of that (anti-vivid?). There's just touching "there" and gasping and Christian slamming into her. I don't know how it got classified as a BDSM book, honestly. The worst he does is spanking her (I think) and light bondage, which is something a lot of "vanilla" couples do.

I pretty much gave this 1 star because I had to, and 1 star because it sort-of let me live out my far-fetched dream of someone with a lot of money falling in love with me and buying me nice things and flying me in a helicopter to dinner. *hopes fervently*


Check out my opinion piece on Ana at my blog.

[stressedrach]

There was some good and some bad with this book if I am to be honest, to start with, how many times can a person say crap, double crap and basically any other thing with crap at the end way too much in my personal opinion, do people actually say this to themselves? I never have, well not in the context that Ana does.
She is 21 years old and she seems way too naive for that age, I know she is a virgin but that does not make you naive and being told what Christian Grey wants from her she doesn't really batter an eyelid. Now if it were me, and I were a virgin I would be running for the hills, no matter what he looked like and however much he intrigued me.
It was quite scary that Christian stalked Ana after their first meeting, this is not normal and would be a felony, I think I would have backed off the at the first or second instance of this.

I loved the storyline though, the way I read it, it was the beginning of a love story and although Christian is fifty shades of f***** up by his own admittance it seems that Ana is doing him some good. She is changing him without trying too, and that may be why her naivety is a good thing. She wants hearts and flowers, the real deal he doesn't but he is willing to try for her.
There was a lot sex scenes but this is to be expected as it is an 'erotic' book but nothing that shocked me. Although I am not sure that the amount of sex they had on the first night of becoming a non virgin would just make her sore. I think she would be walking a little oddly too haha.
As I said I loved the storyline, the characters and the detail involved into making those characters come alive in my imagination and their surroundings too. It was a great read.
I can understand why so many copies of this book have been sold worldwide.

[jamiereadthis]

I realized I never put this book on Goodreads, and why did I suffer through it if not to have proof that I suffered through it, so I’m adding it now, although mostly to plea:

Please, please please, for the love of all that is holy, if you want to read kinky, screw this unhealthy book, read Tiffany Reisz.

[Stephanie]

This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter



I broke and finally read Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I wish I could say it blew me away but I'd be lying. I've been spoiled by authors who actually know how to write erotica. Had Fifty been my first introduction to the genre I could see how it would be impressive. But it wasn't and I wasn't. Hype my dears is what killed this book for me.

Can we talk about the writing please? I am by no means a literary snob, but the way James wrote made this book difficult to get through. It struck me as weird that she used the word besieged in two sentences back to back. I'm paraphrasing but first Clayton's was besieged and then the staff were besieged by customers. Perhaps if there were castle walls I could understand the enthusiasm for besieging but even then I'm thinking no. I'm here to tell you if I took a shot for every time Ana said or thought the word Jeez, I'd be dead. There would have been multiple bottles and alcohol poisoning. These are the things I notice when I read.

The other thing that really fell flat for me is the sex. You'd think with the amount of attention this received the sex was nothing short of miraculous. In fact it's pretty damn vanilla. Remember that "authors who do it better" line? Sarah McCarty and Olivia Cunning are two ladies who have set some pretty high standards in this genre for me. I've really enjoyed their work and the sex is like the scorching of the sun compared to the light bondage and spanking in Fifty Shades of Grey.

I will say that I giggled more than I anticipated and I really did enjoy some of the storyline. To be honest though the only reason I'm continuing with the series is because I'm curious about "the situation" and who needs to be found. I really couldn't care overly much about Ana and Christan at this point. I have the next two books so I'll finish the series out.

[Stephanie]

I make no excuses. I read this so that I could officially lodge my complaints about it without saying "I hate this without having read it." It was every bit as mind numbing, ridiculous and confusing as I expected.

That's all. Laters, baby.