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on October 14, 2012
I finally let all the hype talk me into reading this and I wish I hadn't. I can usually find the time to finish a series this size in a week- even one I don't really enjoy a lot. I was so annoyed with the repetition of words mumble, mutter, and grey right of the bat that it took me two days just to get through the first two chapters; I kept having to throw it down. You could just instantly tell it was poorly written and poorly edited. It it such a simple read you can tell on certain words she used a thesaurus changing very simple words into the largest word on the list. My English professor would have tossed the book just for that. I can usually find something good to say about a book even if it isn't something I liked but with this, I can't think of a single good thing to say about it other than it ended! I enjoy simple reads when I am really busy, something I don't have to think much on and can kind of let my brain take a break, but this is just awful.
As for the characters, it is easier to relate to Grey than it is Ana, and the book is in her point of view. She lacks substance, confidence, strength and the list goes on. I feel the author has failed to give the reader any ways of relating to her characters which makes it hard to connect with them and therefor the book itself. I know it's an erotic Twilight knock off, fan fiction, but these book are weak. Even if you aren't a Twilight fan you can give Stephenie Meyer the ability to develop a solid character that has just enough flaws to make her human but balanced with enough strength that you can see she is the heroine. At least in these books, Grey knows who he is and what he wants, even if he is beginning to struggle with it. The strongest character in this book seems to be the friend Kate, who we don't here much from. I generally read a complete series to know what happens, but in this case I am done after finally finishing the first book. I don't care what happens in the rest, this was so bad, I won't even take the time to look up the synopsis of the other books.
As for the characters, it is easier to relate to Grey than it is Ana, and the book is in her point of view. She lacks substance, confidence, strength and the list goes on. I feel the author has failed to give the reader any ways of relating to her characters which makes it hard to connect with them and therefor the book itself. I know it's an erotic Twilight knock off, fan fiction, but these book are weak. Even if you aren't a Twilight fan you can give Stephenie Meyer the ability to develop a solid character that has just enough flaws to make her human but balanced with enough strength that you can see she is the heroine. At least in these books, Grey knows who he is and what he wants, even if he is beginning to struggle with it. The strongest character in this book seems to be the friend Kate, who we don't here much from. I generally read a complete series to know what happens, but in this case I am done after finally finishing the first book. I don't care what happens in the rest, this was so bad, I won't even take the time to look up the synopsis of the other books.
on February 12, 2014
It's never too late to warn the unsuspecting...
Plot Synopsis
The plot revolves around college student Anastasia Steele (Ana) who helps out a sick roommate to interview an affluent young entrepreneur Christian Grey. She falls for the mysterious man who, despite also liking Ana, wants to use her for some bedroom fun. Before the virginal Ana can engage down this dark and possibly dangerous path with Christian, he requires her to sign a contract that lists everything from what he can do to her while they are together to her dietary restrictions to how many times she must work out in a week. Complications arise when Ana’s feelings are thrown to the wolves during their first “encounter”, but she remains intrigued by her own desire to delve into his dark world. The tale is told from the first person point of view of Ana.
Wretched writing
The writing itself can only be likened to that of a child who giggles at the idea of adult relations. James’s idea of writing includes repeating the same phrases and words over and over and over…and then a few more times just for good measure. Thanks to another Amazon reviewer, we have a count of some of these words and phrases. Ana says “Jeez” 81 times, she “flushes” or “blushes” 125 times. Between Ana and Christian there are 124 “grins,” but they also “frown” 124 times. Characters “whisper” 195 times and “murmur” 199 times. Just for fun, Christian’s “mouth presses into a hard line” 10 times. This is just a sampling of the gross overuse of words and phrases used by the author. Writers should have a larger vocabulary than that.
Careless characters
The characters can be described as thin, and I believe that’s overly generous. There is no substance behind any them, and they are not built up in a manner in which a reader can either relate or “root for” as readers like to do. It’s as if the author wanted to write shocking erotica and plopped in some characters because books are required to have them. The characters have been likened to those of Twilight fame, and rightfully so: an awkward, clumsy and naïve female who has mommy issues due to many divorces instantly falls in love with a mysteriously perfect male and travels into his dark world. Oh and did I mention the guy "friend" who loves her from afar?
Main character Ana is extremely unbelievable as a college student in America. The book takes place in the present time (the book was published in 2011), yet she has no email address until Christian buys her an expensive computer. Even if one was to believe that she had no personal email address, universities today automatically issue email addresses to every student. That’s their primary source of communicating with students since email is so popular. Ana is supposed to be a naïve, inexperienced young girl without much real-world experience, yet she comes across as just plain stupid, with her mannerisms awkward and unappealing. Even more unbelievable is the idea that she caught the attention of a billionaire at first meet.
Said billionaire, Christian, is possibly the most unlikeable character ever written. He is arrogant, standoffish, overly self-important, and ridiculously irritating. There is nothing about him that is attractive or real. He is also a self-made billionaire at the ripe old age of 26, something which is nearly impossible to do unless you’re inventing the next Facebook and iPhone all at once. The character is written as the hero, yet he is more like an antagonist which leaves the reader just plain confused. Does the author truly expect the reader to want Ana to be with him? If so, it is quite insulting to her readers. I’m still not sure that the author even knows what she wanted the reader to get out of his character, which is quite possibly more insulting.
In addition to the blandness of the characters (which extends to the supporting cast), even though all of the characters are born and raised Americans, there are so many British phrases used in the story that either the author struggled with writing characters that were not British or the author simply did not care if the writing was done well. Apparently, neither did the editor.
Avoiding actual dialogue
A large portion of the conversation between Ana and Christian takes place over email. That’s right: email. The tediousness of these emails are not just the pages of email conversation, but that the subject line changes with almost every email in a poor attempt to express how they are feeling during the exchange. It leaves the dialogue without an anchor or foundation for the dialogue to take place. Feelings and facial expressions are removed, and the setting is nonexistent. The fact that the author uses this technique to use up so much space in the book appears to be an amateurish way for the author to get out of actually having to write meaningful dialogue between characters in a realistic setting. Talk about breaking the cardinal writing rule of "Show, don't tell!"
A cliché tale
Needless to say, the plot is cliché and quite boring. A young, inexperienced and naïve girl falls for a wealthy, experienced man in a love-at-first-sight meeting. Typical of most torrid romance novels, the overdone storyline is nothing more than an excuse to write erotica. The plot for the book, though cliché, could have been done well as many other authors have demonstrated, but the author appears to have just wanted a backdrop for the story and an easy explanation for Christian having so much money.
As their romance (?) blossoms, Christian showers Ana with lavish gifts and in turn she gives him what he wants in bed (or in his special BDSM room). Essentially it’s prostitution with a written contract. The fact that he has done this with others should have scared off the timid girl, yet she goes along with it as if it's perfectly normal to do so. While the book has no true ending as it is part of a trilogy, there really isn’t much of a cliffhanger to make a reader want to continue.
An offense on all fronts
Overall, both writers and readers should be completely offended by this lackluster offering. As a writer myself, I feel that the publication of this book flies in the face of what good writing is really about. It also makes it feel as if anyone can publish a garbage book if they put a little erotica in the tale. The publisher and editors should also be completely ashamed of themselves for putting forth such an awful book. There are so many hardworking, genuinely great writers out there sending query letters and clutching onto hope along with all their rejection letters. Those writers should be the ones that are rewarded for their craft, not this author.
The author not only has no regard for writing as an art form, she also does not care at all about her readers. She provides them with nothing to hold onto and readers should be allowed to request a full refund plus something to compensate their time and trouble. In fact, we should start a revolution of ashamed readers writing the publisher to write for their money back. Maybe it will act as a deterrent to writers and publishers in the future who believe that this kind of drivel is a satisfactory substitute for great writing and storytelling.
Plot Synopsis
The plot revolves around college student Anastasia Steele (Ana) who helps out a sick roommate to interview an affluent young entrepreneur Christian Grey. She falls for the mysterious man who, despite also liking Ana, wants to use her for some bedroom fun. Before the virginal Ana can engage down this dark and possibly dangerous path with Christian, he requires her to sign a contract that lists everything from what he can do to her while they are together to her dietary restrictions to how many times she must work out in a week. Complications arise when Ana’s feelings are thrown to the wolves during their first “encounter”, but she remains intrigued by her own desire to delve into his dark world. The tale is told from the first person point of view of Ana.
Wretched writing
The writing itself can only be likened to that of a child who giggles at the idea of adult relations. James’s idea of writing includes repeating the same phrases and words over and over and over…and then a few more times just for good measure. Thanks to another Amazon reviewer, we have a count of some of these words and phrases. Ana says “Jeez” 81 times, she “flushes” or “blushes” 125 times. Between Ana and Christian there are 124 “grins,” but they also “frown” 124 times. Characters “whisper” 195 times and “murmur” 199 times. Just for fun, Christian’s “mouth presses into a hard line” 10 times. This is just a sampling of the gross overuse of words and phrases used by the author. Writers should have a larger vocabulary than that.
Careless characters
The characters can be described as thin, and I believe that’s overly generous. There is no substance behind any them, and they are not built up in a manner in which a reader can either relate or “root for” as readers like to do. It’s as if the author wanted to write shocking erotica and plopped in some characters because books are required to have them. The characters have been likened to those of Twilight fame, and rightfully so: an awkward, clumsy and naïve female who has mommy issues due to many divorces instantly falls in love with a mysteriously perfect male and travels into his dark world. Oh and did I mention the guy "friend" who loves her from afar?
Main character Ana is extremely unbelievable as a college student in America. The book takes place in the present time (the book was published in 2011), yet she has no email address until Christian buys her an expensive computer. Even if one was to believe that she had no personal email address, universities today automatically issue email addresses to every student. That’s their primary source of communicating with students since email is so popular. Ana is supposed to be a naïve, inexperienced young girl without much real-world experience, yet she comes across as just plain stupid, with her mannerisms awkward and unappealing. Even more unbelievable is the idea that she caught the attention of a billionaire at first meet.
Said billionaire, Christian, is possibly the most unlikeable character ever written. He is arrogant, standoffish, overly self-important, and ridiculously irritating. There is nothing about him that is attractive or real. He is also a self-made billionaire at the ripe old age of 26, something which is nearly impossible to do unless you’re inventing the next Facebook and iPhone all at once. The character is written as the hero, yet he is more like an antagonist which leaves the reader just plain confused. Does the author truly expect the reader to want Ana to be with him? If so, it is quite insulting to her readers. I’m still not sure that the author even knows what she wanted the reader to get out of his character, which is quite possibly more insulting.
In addition to the blandness of the characters (which extends to the supporting cast), even though all of the characters are born and raised Americans, there are so many British phrases used in the story that either the author struggled with writing characters that were not British or the author simply did not care if the writing was done well. Apparently, neither did the editor.
Avoiding actual dialogue
A large portion of the conversation between Ana and Christian takes place over email. That’s right: email. The tediousness of these emails are not just the pages of email conversation, but that the subject line changes with almost every email in a poor attempt to express how they are feeling during the exchange. It leaves the dialogue without an anchor or foundation for the dialogue to take place. Feelings and facial expressions are removed, and the setting is nonexistent. The fact that the author uses this technique to use up so much space in the book appears to be an amateurish way for the author to get out of actually having to write meaningful dialogue between characters in a realistic setting. Talk about breaking the cardinal writing rule of "Show, don't tell!"
A cliché tale
Needless to say, the plot is cliché and quite boring. A young, inexperienced and naïve girl falls for a wealthy, experienced man in a love-at-first-sight meeting. Typical of most torrid romance novels, the overdone storyline is nothing more than an excuse to write erotica. The plot for the book, though cliché, could have been done well as many other authors have demonstrated, but the author appears to have just wanted a backdrop for the story and an easy explanation for Christian having so much money.
As their romance (?) blossoms, Christian showers Ana with lavish gifts and in turn she gives him what he wants in bed (or in his special BDSM room). Essentially it’s prostitution with a written contract. The fact that he has done this with others should have scared off the timid girl, yet she goes along with it as if it's perfectly normal to do so. While the book has no true ending as it is part of a trilogy, there really isn’t much of a cliffhanger to make a reader want to continue.
An offense on all fronts
Overall, both writers and readers should be completely offended by this lackluster offering. As a writer myself, I feel that the publication of this book flies in the face of what good writing is really about. It also makes it feel as if anyone can publish a garbage book if they put a little erotica in the tale. The publisher and editors should also be completely ashamed of themselves for putting forth such an awful book. There are so many hardworking, genuinely great writers out there sending query letters and clutching onto hope along with all their rejection letters. Those writers should be the ones that are rewarded for their craft, not this author.
The author not only has no regard for writing as an art form, she also does not care at all about her readers. She provides them with nothing to hold onto and readers should be allowed to request a full refund plus something to compensate their time and trouble. In fact, we should start a revolution of ashamed readers writing the publisher to write for their money back. Maybe it will act as a deterrent to writers and publishers in the future who believe that this kind of drivel is a satisfactory substitute for great writing and storytelling.
on June 28, 2012
I am heartily sorry that I paid for this novel to be loaded onto my Kindle. Several women recommended this book highly - even my gastroenterologist! I honestly don't understand the allure that this book has for so many readers. I found myself gritting my teeth at the turn of every page, asking myself repeatedly why the plot is even the slightest bit believable: even willing suspension of disbelief can't coax me into embracing the idea that a shy, recent college graduate would attract the attention of a "super hot" multi-billionaire, and I will refrain from any comments on the juvenile writing style of this author. If I may: ". . . my voice is husky, too low, and full of need." Another example: "Oh my... he wants me. Christian Grey, Greek god, wants me, and I want him.. ." Honestly, this isn't even good escapist literature. I wish I could get a refund!
on July 14, 2017
When this book came out, I mistakenly thought it was about smut or porn which is not my thing. A few months ago I overheard a couple of older women such as myself discussing it....and well my opinion changed such that I bought the first book.
I LOVED IT!!!!!! This authors style of writing actually let me feel like that “fly on the wall” throughout this book and her subsequent books. Well thought out, well written, good taste and respectful of women-even too those topics discussed of Grey’s past history.
I pretty much (until these Grey books) don’t buy heavily sex related stories, but this series IS my exception to my rule for sure!!! Excellent & respectful, not to mention, very difficult to put down!! Thanks!
I LOVED IT!!!!!! This authors style of writing actually let me feel like that “fly on the wall” throughout this book and her subsequent books. Well thought out, well written, good taste and respectful of women-even too those topics discussed of Grey’s past history.
I pretty much (until these Grey books) don’t buy heavily sex related stories, but this series IS my exception to my rule for sure!!! Excellent & respectful, not to mention, very difficult to put down!! Thanks!
on May 30, 2012
I try to make a habit of being familiar with works that make a splash in our cultural milieu, for better or for worse, and I wanted to read this too, given what a sales phenomenon it has become. It turned out to be one of the very few times in my life when I could not actually finish a book I had set out to read.
If this had been an essay written by a middle school student, it would not make passing grade. The same cliches are repeated ad nauseam, and, sorry to be rather crass, but I'm pretty sure I've seen better dialogue in porno movies... It is a sad day for humanity when this is a NYT best seller...
The story line and characters are infantile at best. The erotic aspect is contrived, disconnected, and fitting more with a conversation between 12 year olds than with adult erotica.
And the writing, oh, lord help us, the writing... The author makes brilliant use of a vocabulary of about 200 words, in which "blushing" "Jeez", "WHAT?!" and a few simplistic phrases are recycled over and over... The phrasing is so stilted and forced that it makes reading a chore. About twice on every page the main character has her heart in her throat, and she blushes about 5 times in the same span. And no, this is not an elaborate ironic device; this is the extent of the author's imagination and creative prowess...
The fact that such an abomination gets printed would be mildly amusing if this was found where it belongs, in the tabloids displayed by the check-out in the grocery store. That it is a huge commercial success, receiving actual praise from some readers, is depressing and scary.
If this had been an essay written by a middle school student, it would not make passing grade. The same cliches are repeated ad nauseam, and, sorry to be rather crass, but I'm pretty sure I've seen better dialogue in porno movies... It is a sad day for humanity when this is a NYT best seller...
The story line and characters are infantile at best. The erotic aspect is contrived, disconnected, and fitting more with a conversation between 12 year olds than with adult erotica.
And the writing, oh, lord help us, the writing... The author makes brilliant use of a vocabulary of about 200 words, in which "blushing" "Jeez", "WHAT?!" and a few simplistic phrases are recycled over and over... The phrasing is so stilted and forced that it makes reading a chore. About twice on every page the main character has her heart in her throat, and she blushes about 5 times in the same span. And no, this is not an elaborate ironic device; this is the extent of the author's imagination and creative prowess...
The fact that such an abomination gets printed would be mildly amusing if this was found where it belongs, in the tabloids displayed by the check-out in the grocery store. That it is a huge commercial success, receiving actual praise from some readers, is depressing and scary.
on August 8, 2015
I am a recent 50 Shades fan. After watching the movie, without reading the first book, I felt that i was left with a cliff-hanger. Being that I couldn't leave it at that, I bought the second (and third) book to this series. I was weary at first, but quickly realized that it is not as many people describe.
50 Shades Darker, in my opinion, is very well written, despite a few strange terms, some repetition of words, and a minor typos I found throughout the book.
The plot develops quickly, but in a good way. The story strays from the BDSM spectra, and Christian and Ana's relationship flourishes. It brings up Christian's dark past with his childhood, his mother, his exes to where you begin to fully understand the character of Christian. It was enjoyable to see the soft side of "Fifty".
as most people claim, this series is very sexual. And, to an extent, I agree. In this second book, I found that their romance develops, feelings get strong, and that there is less kink to the sex scenes, and more romance and passion between the characters.
I found that each chapter left off at a suspenseful spot and I couldn't put it down! I read it through in less than three days.
I am a true romantic, from reading Nicholas Sparks, to a variety of other novels, I found this second book of the 50 Shades trilogy to be captivating, romantic, surprising, and dark all at the same time. Especially the ending (to which I will not spoil). It's definitely a read that I would recommend.
50 Shades Darker, in my opinion, is very well written, despite a few strange terms, some repetition of words, and a minor typos I found throughout the book.
The plot develops quickly, but in a good way. The story strays from the BDSM spectra, and Christian and Ana's relationship flourishes. It brings up Christian's dark past with his childhood, his mother, his exes to where you begin to fully understand the character of Christian. It was enjoyable to see the soft side of "Fifty".
as most people claim, this series is very sexual. And, to an extent, I agree. In this second book, I found that their romance develops, feelings get strong, and that there is less kink to the sex scenes, and more romance and passion between the characters.
I found that each chapter left off at a suspenseful spot and I couldn't put it down! I read it through in less than three days.
I am a true romantic, from reading Nicholas Sparks, to a variety of other novels, I found this second book of the 50 Shades trilogy to be captivating, romantic, surprising, and dark all at the same time. Especially the ending (to which I will not spoil). It's definitely a read that I would recommend.
on April 20, 2017
I know this series get a lot of grief but if you can look past some of the cliche writing and passe clothing etc, I loved the story of how these two navigate to have a healthy relationship. Yes, some of the things Christian does are a bit outrageous, but it's a book, were supposed to give the author some leniency. Fifty Shades Darker is my favorite of the three because I feel this book is where they do the most maturing. Fifty Shades Freed just felt like it was written knowing it was going to become a movie with the kidnapping. With all that, I have still read these books several times.
on June 20, 2017
I read this 2nd book in the series and watched the movie as well. Truth be told, I thought the movie was done well. The pacing was good, but the thing that struck me the most was that Anastasia had grown stronger dealing with Christian, which was a good thing. She starts out as this young virgin I had a tough time buying but her growth as a human being was great in the second book. I love erotica and while this isn't quite what I generally read, I have to admit I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book and the movie.
on June 13, 2012
IMO, the books are horrendous: poorly written, sophomoric, and terribly redundant! Complete waste of time and money, and way over-hyped by the media! A 13-year-old junior high school student could have done a better job writing about their "sex-capades" in their diary! This author should NEVER be allowed to publish again; she probably can't even write a decent grocery list!
