Reviewed by Berls on
I have really mixed feelings about Fifty Shades. I had heard it was fan-fiction for the Twilight series, so while there were several bits that felt familiar (especially the basic characterization of many central characters: Ana/Bella, Christian/Edward, and José/Jacob, Grey family/ Cullen family, Ana's parents/Bella's parents ), I was pleasantly surprised that the plot diverged so substantially. For some reason (maybe because it's Twilight fan fiction) I also had thought the book had a similar supernatural element to it, so I was slightly disappointed to discover it did not.
That was a minor, short-lived disappointment though, which was unfortunately surpassed by other disappointments. I think all the hype surrounding this book did it a disservice, because I was expecting something really great and exciting. For me a good book often centers on the character development; I need characters that I both love and believe in. I never fell in love with Ana or Christian, and on many fronts they remained all too fictional, because they just weren't 3 dimensional or believable enough.
Enough of the bad, though! I may not have loved the characters, but they were still fun to read and their sexual escapades never failed to entertain (even if sometimes they were more laughable than erotic). And Christian is a hopelessly damaged man with potential to grow into a character that I could really care about. If you're looking for a fun and at times steamy read, this is the book for you. If you're looking for a masterpiece, with complex characters and incredible plots, move on. If you do read it (and enjoy it) make sure you have the next book ready, because the book ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger!
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 24 March, 2013: Finished reading
- 24 March, 2013: Reviewed