# 50 Shades of Gray?



## Alpha72 (May 9, 2012)

Did anyone read this book? And if so, what did you think?


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## prstlk (Dec 29, 2009)

While I have not read the 50 Shades series I did read the story when it was a fanficiton.  If the subject matter bothers you then I would suggest you not read it.  

To me it was one of the best I have read.  I have a couple of friends who have read it in it's current form and loved it.  If you want further info PM me.


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## Alpha72 (May 9, 2012)

prstlk said:


> While I have not read the 50 Shades series I did read the story when it was a fanficiton. If the subject matter bothers you then I would suggest you not read it.
> 
> To me it was one of the best I have read. I have a couple of friends who have read it in it's current form and loved it. If you want further info PM me.


It was fanfiction?


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## charlesatan (May 8, 2012)

Alpha72 said:


> It was fanfiction?


It was originally fan fiction of Twilight but eventually altered (names changed) to be fit for publication.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

Alpha72 said:


> Did anyone read this book? And if so, what did you think?


While I have not read "FIFTY SHADES OF GREY", I continue to be fascinated by the extreme polarization the book seems to have sparked:



Check out the Amazon reviews (link above):

- 1500 5-star
- 950 1-star

In other words:

There doesn't seem to be a lot of "shades of grey" in people's reaction to the book!

Todd


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## Tracey Ivy (May 7, 2012)

I am about to begin it for book club and feel very ambivalent.  Nothing against good erotica but most of it feels pretty cheesy.  Crossing my fingers on this.


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## izzy (Jun 12, 2010)

I enjoyed it. It's an interesting story. If the idea of some of the subject matter would bother you though I would avoid it. There are some gramatical/spelling just oddness in it.
If you reading it for fun I think you'll enjoy it.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I only made it to like 38% on my kindle and then I couldn't take it anymore. Its rare I don't finish a book. And it had nothing to do with the subject matter. I love a good erotica, I read BDSM, I mfm, mm, mmf etc. 

I just couldn't take the writing anymore. Gasping and gazing and sighing and more gasping. I thought the Twilight heroine was bad, this one is 10 times as bad. Takes TSTL to a totally new level for me. So I found it horrible.

I'd rather read erotica better written. Thankfully there is a nice amount of it out there.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Atunah said:


> I just couldn't take the writing anymore. Gasping and gazing and sighing and more gasping. I thought the Twilight heroine was bad, this one is 10 times as bad. Takes TSTL to a totally new level for me. So I found it horrible.
> 
> I'd rather read erotica better written. Thankfully there is a nice amount of it out there.


This. I'm reading it now - I'm already to the point of rolling my eyes with every gasp. And "Errr". (Who says "Errrr"?? It jolts me just a bit every time it pops up...which is...errr...often.) And it bothers me that the author is obviously British and uses a lot of "British-isms", yet the book is set in Seattle and the narrator is apparently American. Shouldn't an editor have caught that?

My daughter started it and stopped at the end of Chapter 8. I've gotten a chapter or two past that, haven't even gotten to the kinky bits yet, but I see why she stopped. (And it isn't the naughty bits - she's all about the erotica these days - she just didn't like the writing style, and I'm not crazy about it either.) I'll probably finish it...unless it gets to be too much of a chore.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

err, gasp, gape, err  

And don't forget the arrg during "Operation Hymen removal".  

I doubt I will finish it, it was hard enough to make it as far as I did. My eyes rolled so much, I thought they'd get stuck in the back of my head.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Meemo said:


> This. I'm reading it now - I'm already to the point of rolling my eyes with every gasp. And "Errr". (Who says "Errrr"?? It jolts me just a bit every time it pops up...which is...errr...often.) And it bothers me that the author is obviously British and uses a lot of "British-isms", yet the book is set in Seattle and the narrator is apparently American. *Shouldn't an editor have caught that? *


Was there an editor? I'd understood it started as fan fiction. . . . . .

That said, having lived just outside London for 3 years and read a LOT of British mysteries, 'Britishisms' do creep into my speech now and then. . . . .


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## 4eyesbooks (Jan 9, 2012)

That's interesting about the large number of reviews who either love it or hate it.  I have heard a lot about the book (who hasn't), but I'm afraid I'll have to pass.  I don't think it would be my cup of tea.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

Meemo said:


> This. I'm reading it now - I'm already to the point of rolling my eyes with every gasp. And "Errr". (Who says "Errrr"?? It jolts me just a bit every time it pops up...which is...errr...often.) And it bothers me that the author is obviously British and uses a lot of "British-isms", yet the book is set in Seattle and the narrator is apparently American. Shouldn't an editor have caught that?
> 
> My daughter started it and stopped at the end of Chapter 8. I've gotten a chapter or two past that, haven't even gotten to the kinky bits yet, but I see why she stopped. (And it isn't the naughty bits - she's all about the erotica these days - she just didn't like the writing style, and I'm not crazy about it either.) I'll probably finish it...unless it gets to be too much of a chore.


I felt exactly the same way about the writing style in the first book, but I finished it anyway. By the end of the first book I was hooked and have gone on to read the other 2. The other 2 books were much better for me and I ended up really enjoying them.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Not just fan fiction, but the original draft was a damn Twilight fan fiction.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Was there an editor? I'd understood it started as fan fiction. . . . . .
> 
> That said, having lived just outside London for 3 years and read a LOT of British mysteries, 'Britishisms' do creep into my speech now and then. . . . .


It started as fan fiction, but it's published by Random House, so I'd assume she had an editor there. And I wouldn't mind the Britishisms if the narrator was described as having lived there for a time, or even as an Anglophile. But so far, nothing like that has come up. So it just comes across as....weird.


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## smallblondehippy (Jan 20, 2012)

Seems everywhere I look people are talking about this book. Here's an interesting article about how the author is amazed at its success:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120514/LIFE01/305140006/-Fifty-Shades-Grey-author-shocked-by-success-erotic-trilogy?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

And here's the interview on GMA...

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/50-shades-grey-author-jamess-interview-16154474


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## Steven L. Hawk (Jul 10, 2010)

I one-clicked it for my wife, but thought I'd give it a read as well.  Honestly, I couldn't make it far enough into the book to reach any of the supposed "naughty" parts.  I gave up on the story around page 30-40 or so.  Just couldn't get interested...  YMMV.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

Steven L. Hawk said:


> I one-clicked it for my wife, but thought I'd give it a read as well. Honestly, I couldn't make it far enough into the book to reach any of the supposed "naughty" parts. I gave up on the story around page 30-40 or so.  Just couldn't get interested... YMMV.


I love hearing a man say this! I know a lot of women disagree with me, but I didn't like the story AT ALL. I found nothing redeeming and feel it wouldn't have even happened if the man hadn't been extremely wealthy. I have to wonder how women define "love" these days.


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## Joseph_Evans (Jul 24, 2011)

I only found out recently that it began life as Twilight fanfiction and I was so shocked that fanfiction could end up being number 1 in the bestseller charts that I kept telling the customers in the bookshop where I work. The ones who were buying it actually were really put off when I told them, and some said they didn't want to buy it anymore :s so I stopped telling them! I guess they'll find out sooner or later, but I am still wowed by this. It's inspiring that more and more pieces of work that were considered unpublishable originally are now proving themselves.


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

I downloaded the Kindle sample and read it.  Could not believe how badly written it was.  I could hardly make it through the whole sample.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

fancynancy said:


> I downloaded the Kindle sample and read it. Could not believe how badly written it was. I could hardly make it through the whole sample.


Which proves what I've been thinking for years. Writing (and all art) is completely subjective. I have to keep reminding myself of that. I think I'm too hard on myself <g>.


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## Kay Bratt (Dec 28, 2011)

I saw it in the bookstore, but the sweet Christian lady who owned the store was watching me and I couldn't bring myself to pick it up under her searching eyes.


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Was there an editor? I'd understood it started as fan fiction. . . . . .
> 
> That said, having lived just outside London for 3 years and read a LOT of British mysteries, 'Britishisms' do creep into my speech now and then. . . . .


Just a wee bit?


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

yes i did. its mind catching and exciting


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## sixnsolid (Mar 13, 2009)

Atunah said:


> err, gasp, gape, err


Don't forget "oh my" 

Seriously, I thought it was so, so. I certainly did not consider it erotica, though. 
One thing I can say is don't waste an Audible credit on it. The narrator does the young woman's voice in such a sing songy falsetto the corny parts morph into 100 acres of cattle feed in the Midwest. Say no to the audio version.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

*


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I've set it aside for now - got further than my daughter (who stopped after chapter , but the repetitive nature of the writing got to me.  It's on my "to finish" list, I'll get back to it at some point out of curiosity, if nothing else, since I never got to the kinky part, but it's not a priority - too many books to read with writing that I know I like.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

Tamara Rose Blodgett said:


> While FSOG has some decent writing throughout I kept getting drawn out of the story with what felt like "Twilight" type parallels. In addition, some of the sexual encounters went beyond disturbing. Overall, the story left a bad taste in my mouth and I didn't go forward to read book #2. I still gave it a 3.5 star rating on my blog simply because the author really knows how to engage a reader and that is noteworthy. Glad I read it, just don't want anymore of that "flavor..."


My sentiments exactly! I didn't feel stimulated, erotic, and certainly no romance...just icky!


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## Tangerine (May 13, 2012)

This is a fascinating thread to me. I just downloaded it a few days ago. I did not read the sample, which is rare for me. I guess I figured there was so much hype about it that it was worth a try.

After reading this thread, I'm going to start is ASAP so I can return it if it's as bad as some of you are saying. Thank you for the feedback and to whomever first started this thread.

I very much enjoy good erotica, which is why I started a publishing company, but "icky"? No thank you.


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## JETaylor (Jan 25, 2011)

I've downloaded the sample and am having difficulty getting through it.  

Needless to say, if this had come across my desk, I would have passed on it based on the first ten pages - which didn't pique my interest one bit and as others have said, the writing isn't what I would call polished in any way, shape or form.  

I've gone onto other things, but maybe I'll try again when I'm on the beach and need a mindless read.


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## kindlegrl81 (Jan 19, 2010)

I have no problem with erotica and I actually enjoyed reading the Twilight series so I decided to sample this book and give it a shot.  I couldn't even make it through the sample before deciding it wasn't worth my time or effort.  Needless to say I doubt I will ever be spending my money on this trilogy.


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## Tracey (Mar 18, 2010)

I downloaded this book because a girl at work was raving about them and got through the 3 books in about 4 days.  

I started it  last night and got to Chapter 6 before I had to go to sleep.  I am with a lot of people here, the writing is attrocious and seems really sloppy to me.  I also don't get the whole him falling for her after a 5 minute meeting with her, that just seemed really stupid.

I loved the Twilight books and got through all 4 of them in record time, but this doesn't even remind me a little bit of those books.  I will plough on and keep going with it, but it would want to get a whole lot better before I buy the second and third books in the series.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

I am so relieved to see it's not just me who is not impressed with these books.  If they were just categorized as porn, it would be one thing...BUT...to call this LOVE?  Ewwwwwwww.


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## otterific (Jan 31, 2012)

I couldn't make it through the free sample download.


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## Tangerine (May 13, 2012)

After my post earlier today, I gave the book a solid effort. I really tried. While some parts were slightly interesting, I couldn't get past the lazy writing, like constant em dashes instead of well-constructed sentences. No thank you.

Like Tracey said, I never bought into the "love" dynamic after a short and clumsy interview.

It did prompted a thank you note to one of the writers I publish to thank her for her solid, enjoyable stories, so I'm glad something good came of it!


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Candee15 said:


> I am so relieved to see it's not just me who is not impressed with these books. If they were just categorized as porn, it would be one thing...BUT...to call this LOVE? Ewwwwwwww.


That's not even what bothered me - I didn't even get to that part ("love" hasn't come into play yet) - it's the atrocious writing that puts me off!


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## izzy (Jun 12, 2010)

Candee15 said:


> I am so relieved to see it's not just me who is not impressed with these books. If they were just categorized as porn, it would be one thing...BUT...to call this LOVE? Ewwwwwwww.


If you read later into the series love comes into play more in the second book honestly. It's way different than the first. I enjoyed it, but I read it way before the hype and was reading just for fun not over analyzing etc. Looking back there are some terrible writing stuff in there but I found the overall story to be interesting.


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## Tracey (Mar 18, 2010)

Well I gave it a solid go yesterday and I found the writing sort of gets a bit better as the "story" goes along, but it is still clumsy.

As for the "love" dynamic after the short interview, I am told that this is explained in the 3rd book.  I am still on the fence as to whether I will get the 2nd book yet but the "story" has picked up a little.  I will keep going to the end (primarily because I don't have a lot to do at work at the moment) and see how I feel about it at the end.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

izzy said:


> If you read later into the series love comes into play more in the second book honestly. It's way different than the first. I enjoyed it, but I read it way before the hype and was reading just for fun not over analyzing etc. Looking back there are some terrible writing stuff in there but I found the overall story to be interesting.


I totally agree. Love isn't really a part of it in the first book...he is basically attracted to her and wants to do more with her. I don't think he falls in love with her until later. The first book was full of terrible writing but once you just get past that the story was interesting. Books 2 & 3 were totally different I thought. They were like other books/stories I've seen and the writing was much improved. Things are further explained in the later books when the love story plays out, but not so much in the first book.


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## Angerona Love (Aug 5, 2011)

I didn't care that much for the book. It was okay, but I'm unlikely to shell out the money for books 2 and 3. I don't care enough about the characters to find out more. There were parts that were interesting, and I didn't think it bad exactly, just not that good either.


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## Boatie (May 8, 2012)

izzy said:


> I enjoyed it. It's an interesting story. If the idea of some of the subject matter would bother you though I would avoid it. There are some gramatical/spelling just oddness in it.
> If you reading it for fun I think you'll enjoy it.


I definitely agree! The writing isn't the greatest, and at some times it gets pretty choppy, but all in all it was entertaining. All of my friends who have read it really loved it. Again, though, make sure you understand the premise because it is not for everyone


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## cork_dork_mom (Mar 24, 2011)

kindlegrl81 said:


> I have no problem with erotica and I actually enjoyed reading the Twilight series so I decided to sample this book and give it a shot. I couldn't even make it through the sample before deciding it wasn't worth my time or effort. Needless to say I doubt I will ever be spending my money on this trilogy.


Is it just me or is anyone else wondering how a book like Twilight and Erotica can be mentioned in the same sentence? 

I work at a high school/public library so I get to work amongst teen angst all day... last think I wanted to do was read about it. Had to pass on the Twilight series and I'm going to have to pass on FSOG. In the famous words of one of my senior citizen book club members "I have a limited number of years left for reading, I don't want to waste it on crap... " I've finally, after 40+ years of reading, given myself permission to quit reading a book if I don't like it and pass on the latest trendy book because everyone else is reading it.  I have to say... it's a very liberating feeling.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

The subject doesn't interest me at all... but it does amaze me that it remains at the top of  the Top Selling Books list this long..


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I can't say that I'm interested in reading it...

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I can say that I'm NOT interested in reading it.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Interesting discussion--I've been seeing a lot about this book on the Amazon discussion boards for months now. Out of curiosity, I sampled the first few pages but didn't find the main character engaging, so I put it aside. Bad writing throws me off, but bad characterization throws me off even more. I'm very particular about characters, as that's the main reason I read--for character. I love to people watch, and if an author is good at characterization, it's like people-watching through someone else's eyes.

If anyone reading this did enjoy _50 Shades of Grey_, you may want to try Beautiful Disaster. It doesn't have the same BDSM element but the romance strikes me as somewhat similar to 50 Shades, and although I haven't actually read either, from following the Amazon discussions, it seemed a lot of people who liked one ended up liking the other.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

purplepen79 said:


> Interesting discussion--I've been seeing a lot about this book on the Amazon discussion boards for months now. Out of curiosity, I sampled the first few pages but didn't find the main character engaging, so I put it aside. Bad writing throws me off, but bad characterization throws me off even more. I'm very particular about characters, as that's the main reason I read--for character. I love to people watch, and if an author is good at characterization, it's like people-watching through someone else's eyes.
> 
> If anyone reading this did enjoy _50 Shades of Grey_, you may want to try Beautiful Disaster. It doesn't have the same BDSM element but the romance strikes me as somewhat similar to 50 Shades, and although I haven't actually read either, from following the Amazon discussions, it seemed a lot of people who liked one ended up liking the other.


Interesting...I followed the link to find that I've already got this book is already in my Archives. I'm sure my daughter bought it - I'll ask her about it.


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## aecardenas (Dec 16, 2011)

I tried reading the first book, but just couldn't get through it. I thought the subject matter was just fine, to be honest (having a fondness for erotic literature myself), but it was the writing that I did not like. At one point, i felt like I was reading a teenaged girl's diary..."Oh my god! He's SO hot" or "oh, gosh" or the other repetitive descriptions and adjectives. And, of course, referring to her vagina (or groin region) as "down there"...did not strike me as very sensuous or erotic in the least. I mean, there is a difference between describing the sweet, sensual progress of an orgasm, and just writing the word "orgasm". 

I actually love erotica and sensuous prose. One writer who does it well that comes to mind is Laurel K. Hamilton in her Anita blake and Meredith Gentry series. Those are very erotic and sensuous books, and the prose is incredibly sexy and evocative. Not so with this book, I'm afraid. And what I feel is ironic...is that the main character is supposed to be a college student who's primary research is the works of THomas Hardy and Jane Austen, and yet her own writing or descriptions are so pedantic and resemble nothing liek the authors she supposedly appreciates. 

I'm glad the author is enjoying tons of success, but I don't pretend to know what the foundation for that success is. Are people simply fascinated by BDSM, which has been around for what seems like forever (does anybody not read the Marquis de sade anymore...?). Or is the Twilight-like romance/storyline taken to a highly sexualized level?

I don't know. I just know that I tried to like it (how could you not try with such rave reviews and millions sold, etc), but it did nothing for me except to make me think that I had wasted my money. Which is too bad, because this could have been a great opportunity to show the world what REAL erotic literature is like. This only makes the genre laughable (how many day time shows have celebrity readers laughing reading aloud from the book...?), which to me, is a real shame.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I still have not read it, but I still wish one of my books would take off and become as popular!  Maybe I need a pseudonym and to start writing naughty books.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I can say that I'm already sick of all the overuse of "50 Shades of..." that I'm seeing...including in thread titles here on KindleBoards. 

Betsy


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## Tracey (Mar 18, 2010)

Well I ploughed on and finished it last night and even though it really isn't my type of book and the writing was clumsy, I ended up enjoying it.  

The writing seems to get better as the book goes on.  I don't know if it is the fact that by the end of the book you are used to it or if it does actually get better.  It does leave you on a cliff hanger, so if you are the type of person who can't leave a book hanging and has to find out what happens then you will have to read the next book.  I am unfortunately one of those people.

I started the second book last night and it seems a bit better in the writing style and there seems to be a bit more of an insight into Christian and why he is like he is.  It is almost like the first book is setting the scene and then the second book is more about the characters.  I have been told that by the middle of the second book the sex scenes get a bit repetitive, but to be honest I found that by the end of the first book.


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## Ashlynn_Monroe (May 24, 2012)

The first time I read it the errors and very rough writing bugged me and I was totally hating on the book.  The second time I forced myself to read it without letting the issues distract me and I liked it but not well enough to read book 2 or 3.  Alpha males are sexy but abusers bother me and this one really walked that line, stepping over it more than once.


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

Ashlynn_Monroe said:


> The first time I read it the errors and very rough writing bugged me and I was totally hating on the book. The second time I forced myself to read it without letting the issues distract me and I liked it but not well enough to read book 2 or 3. Alpha males are sexy *but abusers bother me * and this one really walked that line, stepping over it more than once.


This is a big issue for me for books like that, even if it's consensual, it walks that line too close for my comfort. I've never been interested in the book since that is one of the big "selling" points.


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## Candee15 (Jan 31, 2010)

Alle Meine Entchen said:


> This is a big issue for me for books like that, even if it's consensual, it walks that line too close for my comfort. I've never been interested in the book since that is one of the big "selling" points.


That's my point! I still come back to ... take away and money and power. Wouldn't this guy be someone reported for abuse, stalking, something? His "abnormalities" are only acceptable because of those "attributes."


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## Ashlynn_Monroe (May 24, 2012)

Alle Meine Entchen said:


> This is a big issue for me for books like that, even if it's consensual, it walks that line too close for my comfort. I've never been interested in the book since that is one of the big "selling" points.


I'm no BDSM expert, but I do know people who are. It's about one person submitting for the other person to be "pleasured" by the submission. It's not about someone fighting the other person. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I know the author didn't mean for it to come off as abuse, but I never felt like the heroine wanted to submit so it felt as if she was trying to keep her self "safe" by going along with him not actually enjoying submission.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

Ok, I have no ideal, what is "fan fiction" !


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## Alle Meine Entchen (Dec 6, 2009)

Cuechick said:


> Ok, I have no ideal, what is "fan fiction" !


it's stories written by fans of books/movies/magazines, etc. There are websites devoted to Jane Austen (for instance) where they have modern stories, regency stories, what if this happened stories. There is even fanfiction stories (on a website called fanfiction.net) for BANDS (it's mostly prepubescent girls writing about how they would react if they could meet their fav heartthrob).


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

So I saw her interviewed where she talked about Twilight... So was this  book originally about the Twilight characters?


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

Anecdotal evidence:

I was in a Target yesterday looking over the book section.  Plenty of Bestsellers, Readers Picks, YA, Sci-Fi, Romance, etc. - all in plentiful stock...

...except the "50 SHADES OF GREY" books.  Nothing but deep, empty space behind their multiple shelf tags.

Wow.

Todd


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

My local library's waitlist for the paperbook #1 is *541* 
The electronic version is at 276.

I also have a out of state card to the Philly library and ebook holds there are at 756


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

I was *very* hooked by the first one.  The psychological tension in the story nearly wore me out, and I was a wreck by the end.  Now, I'm halfway into the second one, and I've been halfway through for the past two months.  It's like a LifeTime movie that isn't holding my interest.

I know the series was based on Twilight, but to me it's more like Beauty and the Beast.  Only, instead of the Beast being physically scarred, he's emotionally scarred. 

I love that it's become so popular, though.  Even thought it's not really my cuppa, I'm rooting the author from the sidelines.  To go from the fanfic website to the NYT best seller list is a huge accomplishment.  Now that it's gone viral, maybe people will start to discover other indie authors.


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## Tracey (Mar 18, 2010)

> but I never felt like the heroine wanted to submit so it felt as if she was trying to keep her self "safe" by going along with him not actually enjoying submission.


It wasn't that she didn't want to submit, she just didn't really know what was involved to start with and it wasn't in her nature I suppose. When she does the sub thing she finds that she actually likes it a bit, but she definitely doesn't like the "punishments" which is the deal breaker for her in the end of the first book.

By the second book he has fallen in love with her and doesn't make her submit to him but does the "vanilla" thing ie. regular relationship with his Dom nature coming through every now and then but because he wants to keep her safe and not have her walk out on him, he doesn't make her do anything that she doesn't want to do.

I don't think I have explained myself very well here but I can honestly say that by the second book it does pick up substantially and there is actually a bit of a story line and it isn't all about the sex. If you read it for entertainment purposes then it is an easy read. If you want intellectual stimulation steer clear.

Oh and yes it was Twilight fan fiction it was originally called Master of the Universe and instead of Anastasia and Christian they were Edward and Bella. I have a PDF copy but can't find the site I got it from, but it is pretty much word for word.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

There was a piece on the NBC evening news last night that said some waiting lists were in the thousands, I think the NYPL....

EDIT:  Just checked the report--4200 on the list at the NYPL; 2187+ at Hennepin County, Minnesota.

Betsy


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## JacksonJones (Feb 20, 2012)

I read the free download portion of Fifty Shades of Grey and was so deeply moved that I wrote my own version in honor of EL James mastery. I'm sort of like a small, scruffy ape, capering about at the feet of her massive statue, bringing an offering of mangoes and then doing a small dance in her honor. A small dance with extremely fast and complicated footwork.

The popularity of Fifty Shades is a great commentary on our society. I can only imagine what the extra-terrestrials will think when they come here in about fifty million years. They will dig up large boxes of James' book and then look at each other, saying things like "Wxrly froompty nung?" and "Blingz veveloomi tanty!"


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

50 Shades has me baffled. It has caught fire and is spreading so fast, yet it has so many waffling opinions. Today on my local radio station, the morning show was talking about it. They were saying things like "it has changed marriages" for some people. They even read a few excerpts for the listeners. Then, in the same show, one of the hosts did go on to say she herself was having a rough time reading it because it was badly written. Even with that, it is still rising in popularity. I wonder, what is it that makes a book catch such fire? I have not read them, but I read erotica. BDSM, light or heavy are not new. Virgin stories are not new. So why is it that this book has readers gasping and moaning and groaning so much? 

Not griping about the success at all. I seriously wonder what "it" is that makes this book so magic. I'd like to bottle it up myself, LoL.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Meemo said:


> Interesting...I followed the link to find that I've already got this book is already in my Archives. I'm sure my daughter bought it - I'll ask her about it.


Let me know what you think of it, if you end up reading Beautiful Disaster. I'm on a true crime reading kick right now, but will probably need something a little lighter for the summer . . .


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## aecardenas (Dec 16, 2011)

Katie Salidas said:


> 50 Shades has me baffled. It has caught fire and is spreading so fast, yet it has so many waffling opinions. Today on my local radio station, the morning show was talking about it. They were saying things like "it has changed marriages" for some people. They even read a few excerpts for the listeners. Then, in the same show, one of the hosts did go on to say she herself was having a rough time reading it because it was badly written. Even with that, it is still rising in popularity. I wonder, what is it that makes a book catch such fire? I have not read them, but I read erotica. BDSM, light or heavy are not new. Virgin stories are not new. So why is it that this book has readers gasping and moaning and groaning so much?
> 
> Not griping about the success at all. I seriously wonder what "it" is that makes this book so magic. I'd like to bottle it up myself, LoL.


Wondering the same thing myself. Not a gripe, per se, but more sociological curiosity. As you indicated, erotic literature is replete with a wide array of BDSM, so nothing new there. I've heard 50 Shades described as a modern day fantasy of sorts. But even there...what does a fantasy about a virginal girl who submits to the perverse demands of a wounded but powerful and beautiful man-boy say about someone? I have not read the other books, but I imagine that in the end Ana, through her love and by her allowing herself to submit entirely to him, will undoubtedly "save" Christian, healing him finally. Perhaps that's what the whole fantasy is about...a girl being able to change her man, or at the very least take a wounded beautiful creature and heal it. Not sure. No judgement, per se, just...curiosity.

On a side note, I heard that this book actually began life as a bit of Twilight Fan-Fiction called Master of the Universe, but the author simply swapped the names Bella and Edward with Anastasia and Christian, but didn't bother to change the characters and left the strange love dynamic the same. Reading the book with that context actually help illuminate the weird relationship, but it didn't make the book any better. In fact, it made my already low opinion of the book (low because of how truly poor the writing is) even lower, if that's possible.


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## Grace Elliot (Mar 14, 2011)

I'm not at all sure why this book is such a runaway success. There are far more interesting and better written books in the genre out there. My personal opinion was that reading this book was enjoyable as having teeth pulled. 
It was an effort to make myself finish it and was hugely glad when it ended. I shall reward this tenacity by not making myself read the next two books. 
Each to their own.


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## Tracey (Mar 18, 2010)

OK when I started out reading these books, I really just wanted to see what the hype was about. The first book was really really badly written but like I said in another post, I am one of those people that has to see what happens next because the ending of the first one left it hanging. I also found with the first book that the writing got better as it went along - not much better, but slightly better.

The second book has more of a storyline to it and you find out a bit about Christian's background and why he is like he is and why he fell in love with Ana pretty much instantaneously. The sex scenes are a bit monotonous though and by the time you are in the middle of the book you are a bit sick of the "oh my" and the mind blowing explosions etc. But I also found the writing in this one to be better than the first book.

I am now half way through the third book and there is more of a storyline to it again.



> I have not read the other books, but I imagine that in the end Ana, through her love and by her allowing herself to submit entirely to him, will undoubtedly "save" Christian, healing him finally. Perhaps that's what the whole fantasy is about...a girl being able to change her man, or at the very least take a wounded beautiful creature and heal it.


You sort of are right with this quote, but she doesn't "save" him per say, she more helps him deal with his inner demons and softens him, whilst he still retains his edge. She doesn't submit to entirely to him in a Submissive way, but she does in the way someone submits themselves to the love of their life.

The third book is written about a million times better than the first, but it still isn't wonderful. I have found them entertaining and if you can get past the writing of the first book and just take them for what they are, then they are enjoyable. Not rocket science and they certainly won't win any Nobel prizes, but for entertainment value, they are OK.


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## Craig Halloran (May 15, 2012)

My wife downloaded this on her iPhone and she's actually reading it. She never reads anything. It keeps her interested, so it's got something going for it. I checked it out, did my own research and it's not so bad.  

I noticed the author worked for the BBC on some of these posts. Seems like that is what gets the ball rolling for these folks, those major media connections. Susan Collins had the same backing as she worked from a major network as well.


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