50 Shades of Grey – Book Review
Never one to resist the hype of a good read, or rather the claim of “Mommy Porn,” I downloaded EL James’ 50 Shades of Grey, anticipating an entertaining page-turner, a modern-day love affair (I pictured my grandma’s collection of old romance novels, taking place in the now, equipped with texting and instant messages). Having no further background than the porno reference, I was stunned – shocked – at what waited in the pages before me. Not because of the explicit sex scenes, but rather the terribly underdeveloped protagonist, the unrealistic storyline – and above all else, the bitterly disappointing message this novel sends to all women about the value of love within a relationship.
Please stop meow if you don’t want anything about the plot revealed.
Ana wakes up the next morning in his hotel room – fully clothed – and he asks to see her again under better circumstances. The tension is building. In the following pages, we see a relationship develop, as the wealthy Christian showers her with gifts, such as a laptop and an Audi, as well as his signature lack of emotional availability. Eventually, amid warnings about his own dark secrets, Christian Grey tells Ana who he really is – a sexual deviant who likes to dominate his women into submission – literally. He wants Ana to be his sexual slave, locked under his thumb, required to sign a contract (unenforceable by law), that locks her into a set of rules. The breaking of said rules, according to the contract, is punishable by time in his “Playroom” or mini torture chamber – nothing life threatening, though. Along with this reveal, he asks her to sign an NDA, no doubt to preserve his professional reputation.
And then it’s time for Ana’s big reveal. She is a virgin.
The plot thickens.
Let us now pause to assess the situation: First of all, Ana manages to graduate college without ever being drunk, ever having sex, and without owning a laptop. The last point is what concerns me the most. When Christian buys her a top of the line MacBook, she refers to it as the “mean machine.” Are you kidding me? We have a girl – a virgin – tampering with a guy who wants to get his rocks off by beating the crap out of her – and she is okay with this – but then she refers to a laptop as a mean machine and to Christian as a multi-bagillionaire. Who is this idiot?
Moving on.
The contract has a list of rules that Ana will be required to follow. She must workout, eat regularly, maintain her health and hygiene, wear the clothing he provides, obey his every request, and spend every weekend with him for a period of three months. She also is forbidden to touch Christian or make eye contact with him. The contract is negotiable, so she opts to change the mandated number of workouts from four-times per week to three. This is completely logical, I mean what normal girls wants to touch or make eye contact with her lover anyway?
While the contract is still a matter of discussion, Christian and Anastasia consummate their relationship. Surprise! She has five orgasms the first time. And then dons her hair in pigtails and dances around his kitchen, Risky Business style, while preparing him breakfast. Of course it didn’t make a difference that he had punished her with a spanking. Spoiler alert! Virgins dig that stuff.
In the last 25% of the book, the relationship between the two grows stronger, but more confusing. Ana becomes a bit more believable as James gets her stride in character development and it turns out the Christian has a bit of a soul (gasp!). The most charming and realistic banter between the characters takes place during playful email exchanges, however, the actual dialogue between characters is unrealistic, with the regular use of the words “ill,” “pleased,” and “shall.” For a modern-day romance, the language is flawed and more advanced readers will become impatient with the constant reuse of adjectives and the periodic use of thesaurus synonyms that stick out like a sore thumb. I mean, I would tell my boyfriend that he beguiled me if he asked if he could whip me with a riding crop, too.
The larger issue that this novel presents is that women should never be comfortable offering their bodies to a man that makes it clear he is emotionally incapable of love and perfectly willing to implement capital punishment for eye rolling. Grey is a quintessential predator, Ana his prey, and the plot insinuates that, for the sake of eroticism, this is acceptable. Only at the very end does Ana come to terms with her fate. The final four pages do convince readers to continue with the next book in the trilogy. Mission accomplished, James! However, if they continue remotely in the same fashion as the first, they will leave much to be desired – beyond, of course, a story laced with Mommy Porn.
50 Shades of Grey supposedly started off as fan fiction, based on the Twilight series. While James had every opportunity to create a stronger, more emotionally developed protagonist, she created a world to which the boundaries of sexual delinquency, love, and relationships are blurred beyond distinction. While Twilight is flawed in its writing style, at least the story line paints a picture of loving and committed relationships – something that is completely butchered in 50 Shades of Grey. Being the curious little bird that I am, I will keep reading and will drink again to a wicked storyline that had me flushing crimson on the subway – fingers crossed it isn’t a disappointment, but at least I know what to expect.
You forgot to mention the “hitch” in her throat or his that happens on every second page. Every time I read about this “hitching” I DO roll MY eyes! The writing has much to be desired for sure and I agree with everything you say here. I have about a hundred pages to go and I think I will be done with it after that. I am no prude but the orgasm after orgasm after orgasm and they haven’t made it to lunch yet, how does that happen? And…how does this guy have the time for all this earth shattering sex AND run a huge corporation employing 40,000 people no less? I need a little more sophisticated writing style me thinks BUT that won’t stop tons of copycat books to follow and the reported movies from being made. If it was better written I would let the author get away with more…
I’m trying to wrap my brains around this phenomenon. It rolled until it became an avalanche and now people believe they MUST read it. I’ll even admit: I’ve begun to point out the soft-erotic scenes in my latest women’s fiction book too…just to let reader’s know it occurs in other books and you can also get a story through the journey. I’ve loved going to different websites and reading people’s thoughts on his book. Thanks for sharing your review.
So I decided to read 50 Shades and thought it was weak and the story line was boring. The sex was good, different and after getting over the initial shock of it and was hoping for a better plot. It would build up to something and then fall apart every time. The 3rd book, fifty shades freed was the worst. Completely pointless. Its sad that this book is selling off the shelves because of the Media blowing this up. It’s a useless waste of time.
I agree 100% with this review, very repetitive and predictable. No real substance as a book
I think the real issue here is her constant overuse of the word ‘murmur.’ I wish that I had played a drinking game everytime I read that but then again I think I would have never made it past the book’s halfway point. The storyline was decent enough to keepme reading – but only because I like to finish what I start. The grammar and overal writing was just super distracting and really took away from the curiosity shrouding this book series.
one disappointing book. Grey’s ‘terrible past’ is never revealed indepth. Ana is too scared to push him in fear of losing this Loser. Plot never gets deep. its soo high school writing. Never goes beyong a Harlequinn romance. Save yr $$.
I thought the miserable ending was entirely contrived to persuade you to purchase the other books in the trilogy ( which I will not be doing as I am of the opinion that the book lacked any literary merit whatsoever). Like Elleclarke 11 I’m no prude, but the content of this novel was salacious and such storyline as existed was very thin indeed.
Hello! I am doing an analysis paper for my class. I love your book review in how thorough and detailed you are with explaining you feel about the unconventional relationship between the two characters. I was wondering if I could disclose a name to this review and give you credit! Also, this would really help me out! It likes introducing somebody and you forget their name, things never really pan out! Just let me know i would appreciate it!
I could not believe the hype around this book. Thanks for this review!
That is just fine – this post was written by Ashley Devick. Good luck!
i’m neither uptight or prudish, as suggested by a recent comment, but i do recognize tripe when i read it. there’s much better erotica out there. i recommend that you download it and read it. And where was the editor? last time I was in the NW US no one said pram, rucksack, someone will “collect” you, that someone was going on “holiday”. If this is an homage to the “Twilight” series, the author of those books (which weren’t good either) ought to be “flushing crimson”. Ana Steele can give her pointers.
I just finished reading this book and it was a complete waste of time. Like other comments have said it is poorly written, no plot, and repetitive. The girl is an idiot. All the “Jeez” “Crap” “Holy crap” “Oh crap” that appeared every other paragraph in the book irritated the heck out of me. I will first shoot myself than read the other two books of the series.
Or we might actually have good taste in literature?
As I get really excited about the no holds barred sexual approach of Christian, I will still call it an Adult Twilight. It’s all there in there. Cant resist the guy, guy so rich, girl knows that there’s something wrong with the guy etc. etc. But I”m still gonna move on and read the rest of the book as what Twilight did to me.
An insult to the intelligence. This book is nothing but porn, porn and more porn. After reading many reviews, I thought I would read 50 shades of Grey with an opened mind and see, for myself, what the fuss was all about. No way I would waste my time and read the other two 50 shades.
Not that I could get past the first 150 pages, but most of your review was absolutely dead-on to what my own opinions are. I couldn’t stand the thought of reading about her blushing one more damn time or how on the night she was deflowered, she had 75 orgasms.
By no means do I consider myself a feminist but what the eff kind of world do we live in, where women abhor men who are “wifebeaters” but can tolerate this insane amount of bull shit? Oh. I hate everything about Twilight, so maybe that explains it…
Seriously, this book was 50 shades of disappointment. I read the first four chapters as a sneak preview and it seemed ok, intriguing, but once I started reading beyond those chapters… well there wasn’t much to read, the sex is absolutely emotionless, it’s the kind of thing that leaves you feeling dirty inside. Both characters seem lifeless and with nothing better to do (wasn’t he supposed to be a multi-bagillionaire? ) and the writing! Don’t even get me started. But the thing that made me put down this book was the complete sexism towards woman, Ana is reduced to a sex slave and she doesn’t give a fuck (except to him). I understand that BDSM are becoming quite popular amongst erm… couples but this is beyond ridiculous. Plot is predictable, I can bet that the emotionless sex will turn into lovey dovey maybe sometimes deviant sex. The best I can give this book is an eyeroll, which I hope I won’t get beaten up for.
I felt like many of the previous commenters, until I read all three of the books. Yes, there is much sex…however as the next two books proceed you realize you have to have read the first book, with all its shocking description, to get the real Christian. This is a trilogy about the psychology of love…real love (for the first time for Christain) and how Ana brings him to the real love. And yes it gives naughtiness to the sexual life that many wish they could experience…I began hateing the book, I ended loving the trilogy!
It is fun! Everyone should think back to the start of a new romance! come on ladies! All the first times all the new! A man that wants to please a woman all the time while tellling himself it is all about him! Could use a little of that myself. Why does everything have to have meaning and substance for god sakes enjoy some fun! My husband enjoyed my new reading it seemed to benifit him quite well. I dont remember that happening when I was reading The help! lol
Do you realize that being a feminist just means that you believe women are equal to men? Do you still “by no means consider yourself a feminist?”
I don’t even know where to begin. First, I’m glad I didn’t pay for these books ! I read the first book and by the end of it I was OVER IT to say the least . A very immature relationship between these so-called adults . I became more and more annoyed by Ana and her wishy-washy ways. By twenty-one years old you should very well know how to “shit or get of the pot”. I could not deal with the constant over-analyzing of herself, Christian, and their so called relationship, the constant internal ranting to herself about non-sense, and the ping-pong e-mails- for heaven sake how old are these two !? Don’t even get me started on the back and forth flirting/banter whatever the hell this is . Again, Grow up! Christian “Mr. bad boy, dominant, do what I say” softens nearly to a push-over in just under a month!? Give me a break. This is the quintessential female fantasy, ” the broken and wounded bad-boy love’s me so much he changes his ways and is in love with me and only me forever and ever. ” Get a grip. I’ve been in this relationship and they don’t change- sorry to disappoint you . Last but not least the writing, wow is it bad. I can’t even believe how utterly repetitive and redundant this entire book was. I was ready to puke every time she “flushed crimson” or whatever other color she was flushing, his “long index finger”, her “biting her lip” , his “wicked grin”, her “rolling her eyes” ….. I could go on and on with this . These and other phrases, adjectives, and comments are heavily repeated over and over until you want to hurl. These books could have been condensed into one, had the repetitive non-sense and crap been eliminated. I refuse to read the second and third. I have read the spoiler and BIG surprise, they marry and have children. Happily Ever After. Awwww. Women sure to love their happy endings don’t they. (gag)
yes i totally agree with your review here and i brought the first and second book as I thought it was going to be good due to all the hype. However, I was thoroughly disappointed, with the first book hardly unable to engage me and retain my interest, I doubt the second one will be able to and I cant imagine reading anything worse than more pages of this dribble that is unable to develop with any depth. I am nearly half way through the book and trying to get through it as quick as possible so I no longer have to endue this dribble but so far in these many pages no development has happened and pretty sure one will not happen anyway.
Ok, I’ve not read all 3. I’m very nearly done with the second and to be entirely truthful, I’m not sure I’ll bother with the 3rd. It’s not at all my usual read, I prefer murder mystery. I only bought them because just about every woman I know was going on about them so I thought I’d have to give it a go. It is no literary genius, from around the middle of the first I was reminded of Martina Cole – repetitive. I forced myself to read every word of the first book, skimming over all the sex in the second picking out the bits relevant to the ‘story’ – that’s alot of skimming! On the whole, for me it’s neither a terrible book nor a great book. I do like a mystery and this book provides an element of that if you dont think too much about the plot, otherwise you’ll have it figured out 10 chapters or more before it happens!
I love this book. I love the romance.
You may want to read my review here: http://complicatedmelody.com/content/fifty-shades-trilogy
I’m surprised no one has mentioned how IRRITATING (sp?) it was how often the author had Ana or Christian looking up to the other “through their lashes”….so annoying! I did like the love story aspect of this book, but I found myself skipping past the sex scenes. They beare old and boring very fast. “I exploded around him with an earth shattering orgasm”…and each one better than the the last. Seriously? And also, (and this may be the jealous and insecure side of me talking), but I’d be a little irked if my friend started dating my boyfriend’s brother and began coming close with his family. I realize I’m probably alone on that one…:)
onixle nailed on the head what bugs me so bad about this book in her comment:
“This is the quintessential female fantasy, ” the broken and wounded bad-boy love’s me so much he changes his ways and is in love with me and only me forever and ever. ” Get a grip. I’ve been in this relationship and they don’t change- sorry to disappoint you .”
For most 21-year-old, independent, college-educated women, there would have been so many red flags from their second interaction (the tracked-down cell phone at the bar), there wouldn’t have been a third meeting. This guy has controlling and possessive written all over him, and it just gets worse as it goes along. She can’t do anything without pissing him off it seems, yet she still wants to be with him. I don’t care how virginal and innocent you are, you can’t fix that. Move along, Ana.
I think everyone’s done a good job bashing the writing. I’m no literary critic, and I can appreciate mindless entertainment for what it is, but this is just crap. I can’t tell you how many times I lost my place on the page because I involuntarily rolled my eyes. (Good thing Christian wasn’t around to see that — I wouldn’t be able to sit for a week!)
Jeez. Get a life. Take it for what it is. A easy read and an escape from every day stress. Look deeper and you may just enjoy it for what it is meant to be instead of trying to analyze it. Jeez jeez jeez.
great write up about the book.
Thank you so much for confirming what i thought from the 100’th page after i put the book down and could not pick up again. you summed it up perfectly. i thought i was being a total snob reader and some kind of “big word lover” but in the end the book was trivial, the pages that i managed to read that is.
I feel vindicated that other women thought the same thing as me.
thank you
You are so right on. That is exactly how I feel! I too want to strangle her subconscious. Funny enough, if it was her subconscious, she wouldn’t have been so aware of it – ALL the TIME. I don’t think the author knows that subconscious means.
I found this book immensely stressful! Why in a world, where women are able to show their confidence and ability to be just as powerful as men, does she “crumble” under this guy who has no emotion or consideration for anyone but himself
Modern books should be giving off a message to women to show that they can handle themselves in life and not be soo needy and whiney when their man is not around. The sexy scenes themselves are even more stressful, I can’t even be bothered to read them any more as the description is so repetitive and predictable!
If I was in Ana’s shoes, I would have turned and legged it at the first opportunity. Every romantic gesture is all wrong and its rather saddening!
Too much like twilight which I also believe gives of this genre of “get some backbone”!!
As I continue to read the second one (not sure why I am), if I read the word delicious used AGAIN to describe food or wine, I may chuck it out the window!
Sorry for the rant, but this is my first review of a book and I felt like I really needed to get this off my chest!
Thanks for your time.
It gets worse with the next two books. I bought the trilogy for a tenner in Asdas, there is nothing to endear you to the characters at all really. The ease with which Ana orgasms is ridiculous. The “delicious” food is irritating, the biting her lip thing is irritating. The fact that you almost think “right the second book might get us to get to know this woman and start to really like her” thing lasts, i think, 2 pages into the second book. Maybe 3 if we are lucky. I can’t believe how many “I need my Christian Grey” comments are on my Facebook page from various women. Who on earth would need that paper thin transparent buffoon with his “Wicked Grin”?
BRAVO AMS! My sentiments exactly. A disturbing book that gives completely the wrong message to young women. Ted Bundy, errrm, I mean Christian Grey, is a classic sociopath/narcissist….yet women find him ‘sexy’? Are we becoming a nation of co-dependents with little or no self respect?
Ok you need to calm the fuck down, this book it is very sexual, but if you decide to read past he first book you’ll realize that they barely go into detail of all the sex scenes. they go more in depth about their relationship in the last two books. You dont like her writing no one is asking you to, you read the book cause it intrigued you and you wanted to know more. Yeah he has issues but theres reasons to why he had those issues. And STOP all that mommy porn shit, i read all 3 of them and the first one is the most sexual one and not once did i ever get aroused by this book. with porn you get aroused so dont be such a dumb fuck and call it mommy porn. The writer has her style and if she wants to put all that sex in it she can she has every right to fucking do so. If you knew how that book was before you bought it then your the idiot who cant be here saying all this mean comments about all the sex and him as a sicko. To all you haters, well your the dumbass ones that cant see pass the sex if you truely werent so negative, you would truly see that theres more than just sex in this book.
I agree! The repetitive stuff was so aggravating. And the unequal relationship between the two characters was the worst part of it all. “Father-daughter” relationship is the best way to describe it actually.
I liked it,so what if other people don’t….who cares what people think! read it if you want to…
Heard a lot of mixed reviews. Still unsure whether to buy :-S
Heard a lot of mixed review. Still undecided whether to buy or not :-S
hi can i ask a favor if could i also get a copy thru email?
Click on the “Subscribe by e-mail” or RSS links below.
Hahahaha!
I agree about the poorly written part. Thought not everyone in college gets laid, not in India yet, at least. Anyway the only thing that i want to do after reading the books is inflict slow, painful, torturous death on the author.
Give me your email id. Though I’ll give you a fair warning.
Reading this book could result in the IQ of a stone.
Anyone up for a drinking game every time you come across “inner goddess” ?
good not sure what all the fuss is about!!
Umm….you are obviously young. Many women have sex while on their period. Don’t knock it till you try it! 😉
The story is pathetic & disgusting. The repeated use of certain words is boring and shows lack of creativity. Its disgusting by the fact that “Ana” is mentally ill. She is actually mentally ill in a similar way as Christian. Honestly, I have only read thru the first 125 pages and I have already decided to return it for a refund. Please understand that I bought the book knowing there might be some explicit scenes etc., but I see now that apparently the assumption of a decent story line was entirely too much to hope for.
This book made me want to punch myself in the face with a hammer.
How is he no a coffee drinker in Seattle who has never had an email, sex or computer. I mean I you are going to base a book in a specific area especially a different country at least know the culture. The dialogues killed me. I got halfway through the second book and I was tired I readin about sex. All they did was eat and have sex.
This book is a colored rip off of the porn paper back books of the 70s and 80s
Nothing special.after reading to the first sex part I threw out the book
And by the way, when I graduated college, I too was a virgin, had never been drunk, and didn’t even own a computer of any kind. And I’ve still never been drunk, although I did lose my virginity. And this is coming to you from my Sony Vaio.
I find it
amusing that some people cannot open there minds beyond the little world they
live in to understand everyone is an individual and different. Just because you
may have lost your virginity under the age of 18 and was probably drunk a lot
younger then that doesn’t mean the rest of the world is like you. Just because
Anna is written as having a ‘perfect body’ and is pretty shouldn’t mean that
she just can’t be a virgin. Is every pretty girl with a great figure a non
virgin at the age of 21. I think not. I’m sure there are many girls who want to
wait for the right man as did Anna.
‘In the last 25% of the book, the relationship between the two grows stronger,
but more confusing’….
Of course it’s confusing. Briefly on Anna’s part she’s never been
in love or experienced the things she has with Christian. Heck I would be a lot
worse. She doesn’t know what normal feels like. It clearly shows she knows what
he’s doing to her is wrong and she shouldn’t be okay with it. Yet shes
mesmerized by this man who makes her feel different.
And for Christian’s part. Do I even need to say anything? He’s a
confusing character. Coming from a social work background I don’t expect
anything less. In fact the constant mood swings, odd behaviour makes the character
come alive. His mum was a crack head, he was adopted and seems he never had the
chance to get over whatever happened to him while he was in his mothers care.
And to top it off he was abused at his vulnerable state especially at the age
of 15 by some old woman. He claims she helped him but as an adult I’m sure she
could have helped him in many different ways other than dominating him. I
believe this was for her own needs. And yet still he can’t seem to understand that
this was wrong and still views this woman as a friend. Which clearly show’s he
hasn’t battled this within himself and perhaps she still has some sort of
control over him. The constant odd behaviour that Christian displays… ‘no
touching him, the sex stuff, the mood swings.’ All make sense considering his
past and his lack of tackling is inner demons and coming to terms with the
horrific things he must have been put through.
To also
add. You don’t necessarily need a laptop to go to college. I didn’t. There are
plenty of computers readily available to use. There usually in a place called a
library (shock!).