Sunday, June 24, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

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.

My thoughts:
I really wanted to like this book, everyone at work raved about it and how much they enjoyed it, but I didn't.  I had to force myself to finish it.  The first few chapters dragged and did not feel very well written.  I can see where the comparisons to Twilight came from.  Shy, pale, clumsy brunette who meets a rich, cool ,aloof, attractive man who keeps telling her that he is dangerous and she should stay away from him.  While it was graphic it was not as bad as I feared. 

How many about to graduate seniors have never had a crush on anyone or any kind of interaction with someone even if it is just a kiss or two?  She seemed too old to be so naive and inexperienced.  He seemed to young to be so rich, cool and aloof and so sure of himself.  He seemed more like a scary stalker at times and the whole contract for their relationship was off putting.

I tried to get into their story, to look past the contract and demands and see how Ana and Christian really fit together.  Were they good for each other?  Could they each get what the needed out of a relationship?  I got 64 pages into book 2 and got stalled and decided that I have given it enough of a try.  Many people told me they liked book two more and that it is different, but it wasn't grabbing me and there are so many books out there that for now I am done with this series. 

I read a really amusing review, or more of a back and forth exchange about the book at The Book Lady's Blog and she did a great job, along with her fellow reader, of putting a lot of my frustrations with the book into words.  Check out what she had to say!

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780345803481
  • Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
  • Publication date: 4/3/2012
  • Pages: 514
  • Series:Fifty Shades Trilogy , #1

2 comments:

  1. I have kind of similar feelings with you. I wanted to like it, I was really curious, but I must say that I was partly disappointed. It is very character driven novel, and even though I liked the characters, I felt that not enough was told about them to the reader. And at parts I just felt that Christian is not that perfect everyone says he is.

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  2. I feel left out since I haven't read this book but I am pretty sure this isn't a book I would enjoy at all. I guess I am not alone.

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