Racy Book's Appeal lies in a 'Grey' Area

Sorry gentlemen...this one is just for the ladies.

So, have you gotten your “Fifty Shades” on yet? Of course I’m referring to the bestselling book “Fifty Shades of Grey”, the first in the trilogy by British author E. L. James that also includes “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed”. You may have seen friends posting about it on Facebook, discussing it over coffee or surreptitiously slipping copies to each other to borrow. The book has been featured on numerous magazine covers and the author has made the rounds of the morning talk shows. 

For those in the dark, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is the story of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. She is a shy, unassuming college graduate who meets a mysterious, handsome, slightly older billionaire. He pursues her with the intention of engaging her in a very unconventional relationship. The three books chronicle the stages of their highly unusual courtship. Initially available only as an e-book, the mass market paperback hit shelves early last month.

The writing style is reminiscent of the “Twilight” series; no small wonder since the author originally began writing her story as “Twilight” fan fiction. The setting for both is the Pacific Northwest.  Ana and Bella are both awkward young girls unaware of their effect on men. Christian and Edward Cullen are both physically perfect and rich but possess elements of danger. As with Bella and Edward, Christian and Ana overcome an assortment of obstacles over the course of their relationship.

This is where the similarities end. While “Twilight” is written for a young adult audience, “50 Shades of Grey” is definitely for the over-21 crowd only. Let me be crystal clear on this point. Do NOT download these books to your teen’s Kindle, or any family-shared electronic device. While Edward and Bella’s relationship remains chaste through most of the “Twilight” series, “50 Shades of Grey” is loaded with pages of explicit descriptions of the characters’ lovemaking. 

And when I say pages, I mean hundreds of pages of whoopee sprinkled with approximately 25 pages of plot and character development. Christian’s character has some unusual predilections that might turn off some readers. While racy novels are not something I typically read, several friends recommended it, which piqued my interest. When my pre-ordered paperback copy arrived, I dove in.

Right from the beginning I found myself engrossed by the story of Christian and Ana.  Most nights I tend to nod off around 9 p.m.  That first night, when my husband came to bed, I glanced up from my book and realized it was 11:30p.m.  A friend later confessed that she stayed up till 1 a.m. to finish her copy.  The following day was much the same.  I’d do my errands and household chores, but in between I would sneak a few minutes with “Fifty Shades” to see what the characters were up to.  The intimate scenes were described at great length and in salacious detail, which left me both intrigued and, at times, uncomfortable.  But it was the evolution of the couple’s relationship that kept me hooked.  By the end of the first book, I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next.

By the middle of the second book I couldn’t get enough of the emotional aspect of Christian and Ana’s relationship.  The physical aspect, however, was starting to get on my nerves.  All the steamy sequences were starting to sound the same, to the point where I began skimming the carnal details to get to what little plot there was. Call me romantic, old fashioned or just an old fuddy-duddy, but by the middle of book three I was wishing the characters would exercise a little more self-control when it came to their behavior in elevators (and airplanes…and boats…and just about anywhere else).  Being a writer, I was more interested in how the author handled character development and conflict than the endless descriptions of the characters’ unbridled passion.  Still, I found myself rooting for Ana and Christian right up to the end.

As with Twilight, The Millennium Series and Harry Potter, when I finished the series I felt a bit sad that my literary love affair with Christian and Ana was over. Luckily, I have a list of friends waiting to borrow the books, allowing me to enjoy it again vicariously through them. 

So is “Fifty Shades” a good book or a bad book?  I guess that all depends on your individual taste.  I personally wouldn’t categorize it in such black and white terms.  It truly falls somewhere within those fifty shades of grey.