Fifty Shades: A Book Review

Book: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E L James
Genre: Erotic Romance, Mature, Adult
Pages: 528
Rating: 7/10

***Disclaimer: You most likely will be offended by the contents of the following review.***

Synopsis

Photo By: Fiona Ho

The first novel in the trilogy follows the BDSM relationship between recent literature graduate, Anastasia Steele and billionaire, Christian Grey.

I really enjoyed this novel and it proves to be a good and easy read. However, if you are expecting for a scholarly read then you'll be disappointed. This is my second go at an erotic novel so it no longer feels very scandalous, embarrassing or taboo that I picked it up. Fifty Shades of Grey is now a world wide sensation and it is even being turned into a movie.

The one thing that REALLY bugged me was the time frame of the book. If I am correct, from the time when they first meet to the end of the first novel, the total time period is roughly a month or so. The time span in their relationship is way too short for all this drama to be happening and it makes it somewhat unbelievable.

I found that I was drawn to Christian’s character more than I was to Anastasia’s character. Christian’s character goes through subtle changes throughout the novel, and it isn’t until the end that you really notice that he is no longer the same person that he was at the start of the book. Anastasia's character on the other hand remains very static throughout the whole book. She is very immature and naïve, and the way she goes about things makes her seem a lot younger than her age (21).

I am quite happy that I picked this book up. I enjoyed it as more than just an erotic novel. At the core of the story, it really just is a cheesy romantic novel about two people who have to face their own demons and insecurities to get to where they are. I also quite enjoyed how E L James played on the whole concept of having the girl save the deep and tortured guy. I find that most girls are genuinely drawn to it.

Almost forgot! So the sex.... OH GOD THE SEX. When I say sex, I mean like actual full on descriptive sex scenes. It’s detailed and kinky as fuck. It is definitely a déjà vu kind of thing; it brings back all/any sexual experience you have ever had.

I for one can say that I have no problem with the premise of this novel, and I without a doubt would recommend this novel/series to my friends (in fact I have, I should be paid for the amount of people that I recruited!). I have read both the positive and negative reviews on this book, and I have to say that I understand where the negativity comes from but I just don't agree with it!

I know I enjoyed it but... 

Photo By: Fiona Ho

There are tons of people who got super offended by this book, regarding it as lady porn in writing and how it shows a fall in culture. However, if you are going to read something like this novel you are going to have to be okay with BDSM. It entails Bondage and Discipline, Dominance and Submission, Sadism and Masochism. That’s really all there is to enjoying this book; knowing what you are getting into.

If you go into reading this book thinking that BDSM stands for Barbie Dolls and Super Models, then you are in for a rude awakening. I knew what kind of story this was going to be from the gecko, so I wasn't shocked by the things that he did to her. I knew that this was no heroine to aspire to be like! It is just a pleasurable and guilty read.

Aside from the haters, we have the people that actually love the book. Woman of all (appropriate) ages have gathered to talk about this book. They are openly embracing their sexual desires, and in a way it has made talking about sex a bit less awkward and embarrassing for most women. I have never had such an open and unreserved conversation about sex (with people who aren't my age) before this book came out, and I have to admit it feels very liberating.

I definitely recommend this book and the rest of the series. If you are looking for an easy read and something to blush about then this is the book for you.

Keep in mind that... Haters gonna hate.