EL James | Fiction, 2011

514 pages

On a whim, I reread Fifty Shades of Grey.  This book is not for everyone, I know!  I quite enjoy the eroticism, the explicit sex, the romance, and the naïve, sensual, and highly intelligent main character, Anastasia Steele.  Yes, you know what it is about ...  a young woman who is introduced to BDSM by the exceptionally rich and handsome Christian Grey.

While I find the eroticism delightful, there are two additional aspects of the book that make it enjoyable for me.  First, the e-mail interchanges between Ana and Christian are remarkably clever.  Read the titles and signatures of each email they send!  Also, EL James’ ability to push me out of my safe and sheltered box, and explore an aspect of the world, of life, I will know only by reading about it.  This edge-pushing makes me more tolerant of life choices I do not understand or would not choose for myself.

I cannot recommend this book, readers, one way or the other.  You must decide for yourself.  (BTW, no, I haven’t seen the movie.  I generally don’t like to see a movie after I have read a book, because the book is always richer and more complex).

August 2021