For me, this was the only time the movie was better than the book. Again, personal opinion. I know plenty of people love it. Give the first book a shot and see if it’s for you.
This has been asked a thousand times and I’ve come to the conclusion that it is a book that you just have to give it a try for yourself. You’ll get a bunch of people saying it sucks, that it is garbage, that they couldn’t get past the first page, etc. You’ll get people saying that they love it, and also people who think it is just ok, and that they’re much better erotica novels out there.
Try to remember when reading them that they started out as a twilight fan fiction, the grammar and some of the conversations made me laugh out loud, it’s really not a healthy representation of a bdsm relationship but if you can get past that it’s an ok story ??
@Christian is right. It’s one of those popular books you just have to check out for yourself. There are those who absolutely loved them and those who thought they were some of the worst writing they’ve seen. If you’re interested, give them a go
Sorry, I just don’t see how a book about blatant physical (not talking about the sex, most of it was with consent though poorly written) and emotional abuse abuse can be enjoyable unless it’s from a comedic or satirical standpoint.
Hannah Bekka Harman Christian only loves Ana because she looks like his mother, that’s a terrible reason to “love” someone. In fact that doesn’t read as love to me, that reads as someome who has terrible past trauma who needs therapy ASAP. And Ana is in love with the idea of Christian, a big, strong, handsome, rich man who “loves” her for who she is (which is confusing because how exactly does one love someone with no defining characters traits?)
Onto the sex, in the BDSM lifestyle there’s something called aftercare. After sex (likely involving some form of consensual beating), the Dom will stay and comfort their Sub because what they hust did could leave some lasting emotional scars. Christian makes Ana cry multiple times in the text and he doesn’t bat an eye, he just up and leaves. If he truly loved her, he’d stay with her and comfort her. He doesn’t love her, he loves to use her as his punching bag because he has mommy issues. Ana can’t fix him, years lf therapy can fix him.
Also, I know that sounded rather rude. I tried so hard to word it differently but when it comes to abuse it’s hard to fluff up the wording. If I got anything wrong, feel free to correct me.
I didn’t see any of that…all I saw when I read it was a girl who meets a guy and falls in love. None of the abuse stuff happened for me…but then I guess we all read things differently.
@Kathy As I said in the above comment, it’s kind of hard to make a comment seem nice when the content in question is about abuse. And I wasn’t throwing around sardonic questions. Admittedly the first one may have been, because I thought it was a joke, but the second one isn’t supposed to be confrontational at all.
@Kathy What are you talking about? I was genuinely asking what the appeal of the book is? I wasn’t trying to start confrontations, but I have to call it when I see it. That comment came across as really rude.
It really depends . I couldn’t get past the spelling and grammar errors in the first chapter of the one I tried to read. But, that is a personal quirk.
If you want to get a good laugh, just read some of the online snippets and teasers. Those are hysterical to tead, but never in my life would I gove money to a woman who glorifies abuse on so many levels.
Yes and no…lol…if you like intense sexual content than your good to go…if you like a suspenseful story line than no. I read them I liked them wouldn’t read them again as people are wont to do..lol
Nope nope nope – I was really disappointed,the writing wasn’t good at all. If you can get your hand on a copy of the first one (don’t buy all three like I did!) and see if you like it, some people really did but personally, I didn’t – the story wasn’t good and the sex just seemed glorified and very unsexy
I’m happy that it gets people reading, but I don’t think it’s worth it AT ALL. Just a lot of things wrong with it mentally and there are plenty of other books out there where bondage and that relationship is done right.
It’s a best seller …duh… Always worth TRYING a best seller. Tbh I liked reading it, it was easy to read but in the end, when I had to revise the story in my head, I was disappointed. The characters are too “cartoonized” for my taste and the story was too weak for a trilogy. I was surprised it was so successful. Well, we tend to judge strictly, when it comes to a successful book. Also: everything BDSM related is laughable
I liked em! Could not put them down. Now I read for enjoyment. I don’t study how the author writes, or Grammer, whether it’s realistic or not. I don’t know prose or whatever. I read for the pure enjoyment. I liked em.
I unknowingly found that I’m good at writing erotic stories.. But don’t read them. We Males are very visual.. But on a date site I kept getting chat requests and it turned into too much.. To do for free anyhow.. I mean 3 or four 10 page essays a week was a lot…
The first book not really, it’s what everyone thinks it is, but the last 2 books in the series well…not really a perfect or heathly relationship but it’s got more of a story. So its one where you kind of just have to figure out for yourself.
If you don’t take them too seriously you can enjoy them. There is much better erotica out there, but I liked them for the story itself, I wanted to follow Christian’s story through. I’ve read much worse.
The sole worth I found in those novels, from an author’s perspective, were in teaching me what not to do in a novel in regard to writing style, grammar, punctuation, etc. I actually bought all three at the local Goodwill and cut them apart so that I could tack each page to a clipboard and edit them. For example, the main character uses seven or eight adjectives to describe her best friend in one bloody sentence when only one or two would have gotten the point across. These novels, in my opinion, were poorly written by an ametuer that knew nothing of the rules of writing and yet somehow, amazingly, managed to skyrocket herself, and her crummy books, into the hallowed halls of household-name-stardom. They are an erroneous and gross misrepresentation of the BDSM community, sexual and verbal abuse, and the characters showed little to no growth whatsoever in the entirety of the trilogy. They remained flat, one-dimensional idiots throughout the whole of the story and their so-called ‘romance’ was trite, false, and wholly dependent upon their own, and other characters’, stupidity in that no one would call them out for their sheer idiotic bullsh*t. If you’re interested in well crafted stories involving the BDSM lifestyle or what it really means to be sexually submissive to a more dominant lover, then I would suggest you look elsewhere for novels on these topics, as Fifty Shades of (YUCK!) are just not worth the time.
its a story…just give it a try & see for yourself…who knows you might like it & if you dont like it then stop reading it & read something else…i enjoyed it & movies as well ??☺️
i’ve read all the comments, thank you for asking because i was really tempted to read the series, i’ve decided i will stick to my classics. Now a big no for me , i am getting skeptical for these millennium .com writers
Noo My friend got me that book on my birthday last year Cause she thought it was a normal book And I was only 13 So when I found………I closed the book I know some are gonna say it’s good and it’s their guilty pleasure…etc I respect that opinion But I will never read the series Even when I grow up
we read it as a book group and had a fantastically pleasurable night ripping it to shreds, working out why it was so popular, comparing it to Pretty woman/ Twilight etc. However, my health visitor friend struggled with it because of abused women on her caseload. Not sure what advice to give but eventually you need to know what the hype is about IMHO l read the Da Vinci code like this, just to be able to speak about it. @Jennifer
I personally didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I didn’t want to waste my time reading it so I just watched the movies. It’s a chick flick with a snack kind of thing. But I tried reading the first book and went halfway through and ended it. You could try reading it and see if you want to continue.
For me, this was the only time the movie was better than the book. Again, personal opinion. I know plenty of people love it. Give the first book a shot and see if it’s for you.
Love both books and movies but love watching the movies more often than reading the books. I still have to read from Christian’s POV yet.
This has been asked a thousand times and I’ve come to the conclusion that it is a book that you just have to give it a try for yourself. You’ll get a bunch of people saying it sucks, that it is garbage, that they couldn’t get past the first page, etc. You’ll get people saying that they love it, and also people who think it is just ok, and that they’re much better erotica novels out there.
I had been reading a few different series of the same genre right before that and couldn’t get into it. I probably didn’t give it much of a shot.
so which one this do find the best in that genre?
Personally, I love them.
Try to remember when reading them that they started out as a twilight fan fiction, the grammar and some of the conversations made me laugh out loud, it’s really not a healthy representation of a bdsm relationship but if you can get past that it’s an ok story ??
@Christian is right. It’s one of those popular books you just have to check out for yourself. There are those who absolutely loved them and those who thought they were some of the worst writing they’ve seen. If you’re interested, give them a go
No.
It was a quick read and I don’t regret reading them! They are like a guilty pleasure ?
Not at all
Yes! I enjoyed it.
To laugh at I hope?
Sorry, I just don’t see how a book about blatant physical (not talking about the sex, most of it was with consent though poorly written) and emotional abuse abuse can be enjoyable unless it’s from a comedic or satirical standpoint.
No. Not to laugh at! I didn’t see any abuse. Christian loved Ana and Ana loved Christian.
@Ahnikka, please be nice. We don’t criticize readers’ tastes in the Nook. 🙂
@Kathy Wasn’t being rude, I was stating my side of things.
How was it abusive exactly? Christian loved Ana!
Hannah Bekka Harman Christian only loves Ana because she looks like his mother, that’s a terrible reason to “love” someone. In fact that doesn’t read as love to me, that reads as someome who has terrible past trauma who needs therapy ASAP. And Ana is in love with the idea of Christian, a big, strong, handsome, rich man who “loves” her for who she is (which is confusing because how exactly does one love someone with no defining characters traits?)
Onto the sex, in the BDSM lifestyle there’s something called aftercare. After sex (likely involving some form of consensual beating), the Dom will stay and comfort their Sub because what they hust did could leave some lasting emotional scars. Christian makes Ana cry multiple times in the text and he doesn’t bat an eye, he just up and leaves. If he truly loved her, he’d stay with her and comfort her. He doesn’t love her, he loves to use her as his punching bag because he has mommy issues. Ana can’t fix him, years lf therapy can fix him.
Also, I know that sounded rather rude. I tried so hard to word it differently but when it comes to abuse it’s hard to fluff up the wording. If I got anything wrong, feel free to correct me.
I didn’t see any of that…all I saw when I read it was a girl who meets a guy and falls in love. None of the abuse stuff happened for me…but then I guess we all read things differently.
@Kathy Very possible. As my fiction teacher always said, that’s why they created chocolate and vanilla.
@Ahnikka, stating your opinion is fine and encouraged. Throwing sardonic questions isn’t. Just a reminder to keep it friendly and respectful.
@Kathy As I said in the above comment, it’s kind of hard to make a comment seem nice when the content in question is about abuse. And I wasn’t throwing around sardonic questions. Admittedly the first one may have been, because I thought it was a joke, but the second one isn’t supposed to be confrontational at all.
@Ahnikka, Then we would advise that you keep on scrolling and ignore the post.
@Kathy What are you talking about? I was genuinely asking what the appeal of the book is? I wasn’t trying to start confrontations, but I have to call it when I see it. That comment came across as really rude.
So saying “Yes, I enjoyed it” is rude????
Hannah, you’re good. Comments got removed, so this thread reads weird now.
It really depends . I couldn’t get past the spelling and grammar errors in the first chapter of the one I tried to read. But, that is a personal quirk.
A lot of those REALLY should not have made it past an editor…
@Nik I really wanted a physical manuscript, a red pen, and the author’s mailing address….
RIGHT?!? It wasn’t the actual dialogue that made me laugh out loud it was the sentence structure and grammar!!
Me neither ?
Terrible
Just read it— I alway just read the book and form my own opinion
I know that I am in the minority here, but I did like it
Meh. It’s not great, but it’s not absolutely terrible. Give it a try if you want.
I do agree that the movies are better than the books, though.
Read it
Absolutely not . Poor English and bad writing
Yea
Yep
No
If you like erotic books, you may find them entertaining
Try it. You might love it. I have loved some books that others hated.
It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
Not to me but that’s my opinion. I could not even finish the first one but you should judge for yourself.
It depends what you think.. some say yes some say no. I’ve read it.
i loved it
Read it and form your own opinion.
Nope
If you want to get a good laugh, just read some of the online snippets and teasers. Those are hysterical to tead, but never in my life would I gove money to a woman who glorifies abuse on so many levels.
Noo
Would you give me a link to upload it or watch it please
I want the movie
I own the original series, nd the 2 in Christians pov. I thought they were great!
A big NO
Yes it is
Yes and no…lol…if you like intense sexual content than your good to go…if you like a suspenseful story line than no. I read them I liked them wouldn’t read them again as people are wont to do..lol
Nope nope nope – I was really disappointed,the writing wasn’t good at all. If you can get your hand on a copy of the first one (don’t buy all three like I did!) and see if you like it, some people really did but personally, I didn’t – the story wasn’t good and the sex just seemed glorified and very unsexy
No!
No.
I absolutely think it is
Yes. LOVED the ending!!!
They are ok…
I just can’t get through this series…
NO
I’m happy that it gets people reading, but I don’t think it’s worth it AT ALL. Just a lot of things wrong with it mentally and there are plenty of other books out there where bondage and that relationship is done right.
Nope.
No, I don’t think it is. It’s badly written and the author has no idea how to identify abuse from BDSM. I don’t think it’s worth reading.
But That’s Just My Opinion.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s a best seller …duh… Always worth TRYING a best seller. Tbh I liked reading it, it was easy to read but in the end, when I had to revise the story in my head, I was disappointed. The characters are too “cartoonized” for my taste and the story was too weak for a trilogy. I was surprised it was so successful. Well, we tend to judge strictly, when it comes to a successful book.
Also: everything BDSM related is laughable
No
Not at all.
I liked it. It’s not great literature and there are some annoying bits but the story is good.
“If 50 shades of gray took place in a trailer park it would be on an episode of Criminal Minds”
I didn’t think so. The characters were flat and the writing felt forced.
No
No way! Snooze fest lol
No
Nope
I am planning on reading them because I love the movies.
No
NO!
Nope
No. It’s very poorly written.
No!
No way
No!
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it.
No
Not even
No.
No, read Anne Rices’ Beauty books instead.
No. I humbly suggest “The Story of O” by Pauline Reage.
Save your time for better books. 50 shades began life as awful Twilight fan fiction and only went downhill from there.
No no n a gazillion times no
I liked em! Could not put them down. Now I read for enjoyment. I don’t study how the author writes, or Grammer, whether it’s realistic or not. I don’t know prose or whatever. I read for the pure enjoyment. I liked em.
Nope
it was ok … Im waiting for the 3rd Christian Grey pov book and i will read the trilogy (btw, i hate bsdm but i do like erotic books)
I unknowingly found that I’m good at writing erotic stories.. But don’t read them. We Males are very visual.. But on a date site I kept getting chat requests and it turned into too much.. To do for free anyhow.. I mean 3 or four 10 page essays a week was a lot…
This will give you your answer and the best laugh of the week! https://iread50shades.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/dave-barry-learns-everything-you-need-to-know-about-being-a-husband-from-reading-50-shades-of-grey/
No
The first book not really, it’s what everyone thinks it is, but the last 2 books in the series well…not really a perfect or heathly relationship but it’s got more of a story. So its one where you kind of just have to figure out for yourself.
If you don’t take them too seriously you can enjoy them. There is much better erotica out there, but I liked them for the story itself, I wanted to follow Christian’s story through. I’ve read much worse.
No
No!
Absolutely not.
I didn’t like it but I’m not into pain and sex
I liked it lots of sex but the story line is interesting
I enjoyed it. But it comes down to personal preference
If you are picky about bad writing and grammar don’t waste your time. If you want to read good erotica read the Sleeping Beauty trilogy by Anne Rice.
I enjoyed it!!
Nope!
Uh uh
Vulgar,tasteless, in addition to bad grammar. It is like so much today in the wold–lacking civility. Try the Delta Of Venus Anais Nin.
Yep
No. You could spend that time on better books.
Not much of a plot, just sex
No !!!! So poorly written … like a giggling school girl. If he wasnt rich he would be charged with rape ….
Dont waste your time.
Only if you are in to erotica it’s very explanatory if you know what I mean. Didn’t like the movies either only saw 1st one that was enough
Noo, dont do it hahaha the sex scenes are good but the story line is not ?
No.
Not really
The sole worth I found in those novels, from an author’s perspective, were in teaching me what not to do in a novel in regard to writing style, grammar, punctuation, etc. I actually bought all three at the local Goodwill and cut them apart so that I could tack each page to a clipboard and edit them. For example, the main character uses seven or eight adjectives to describe her best friend in one bloody sentence when only one or two would have gotten the point across. These novels, in my opinion, were poorly written by an ametuer that knew nothing of the rules of writing and yet somehow, amazingly, managed to skyrocket herself, and her crummy books, into the hallowed halls of household-name-stardom. They are an erroneous and gross misrepresentation of the BDSM community, sexual and verbal abuse, and the characters showed little to no growth whatsoever in the entirety of the trilogy. They remained flat, one-dimensional idiots throughout the whole of the story and their so-called ‘romance’ was trite, false, and wholly dependent upon their own, and other characters’, stupidity in that no one would call them out for their sheer idiotic bullsh*t. If you’re interested in well crafted stories involving the BDSM lifestyle or what it really means to be sexually submissive to a more dominant lover, then I would suggest you look elsewhere for novels on these topics, as Fifty Shades of (YUCK!) are just not worth the time.
Stephen King would agree with your reason to read it.Bad writing is a good teacher. King gave up after 4 chapters.
its a story…just give it a try & see for yourself…who knows you might like it & if you dont like it then stop reading it & read something else…i enjoyed it & movies as well ??☺️
i’ve read all the comments, thank you for asking because i was really tempted to read the series, i’ve decided i will stick to my classics. Now a big no for me , i am getting skeptical for these millennium .com writers
No.
NO !!!!!!!
I don’t know how anyone could watch those movies or read that crap
Not for me I managed two/three chapters and gave up
Ugh, NO!
Just give it a try , maybe you’ll like it .The book didn’t do it for me tho (feel asleep in chapter 2 )
No
No!!
Never Ugg!!
No
Noo
My friend got me that book on my birthday last year
Cause she thought it was a normal book
And I was only 13
So when I found………I closed the book
I know some are gonna say it’s good and it’s their guilty pleasure…etc
I respect that opinion
But I will never read the series
Even when I grow up
No
Nope!!
no
No!! Horrible!
we read it as a book group and had a fantastically pleasurable night ripping it to shreds, working out why it was so popular, comparing it to Pretty woman/ Twilight etc. However, my health visitor friend struggled with it because of abused women on her caseload. Not sure what advice to give but eventually you need to know what the hype is about IMHO l read the Da Vinci code like this, just to be able to speak about it. @Jennifer
I personally didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I didn’t want to waste my time reading it so I just watched the movies. It’s a chick flick with a snack kind of thing. But I tried reading the first book and went halfway through and ended it. You could try reading it and see if you want to continue.
No
Nooooooo oo way
Completely subjective; some people love the series, some don’t. Give it a try, is the best advice anyone can give you.