& Those Scenes Burn Up The Pages. But They Also Serve To Bring The Couple Closer, & Due To Their Dark Nature, They Promote Trust & Deepen Intimacy. That Carries Over Into The Rest Of The Story – And There Really Is A Story Here, Despite The Hype. The Characters Are Complex & Real, Even If The Story Itself Is A Fantasy. Christian May Be Dictatorial & Brash, But This Tells The Story Of A Boy & Teen Who Suffered From Abuse & Grew Into A Man Whose Self Worth Had Been Beaten Down.
Everyone is familiar with the Fifty Shades of Grey series. That is Anastasia Steele’s story. This is the first book in the series that tells the Fifty Shades of Grey story from the male point of view: this is Christian Grey’s story. Whether you have read the first series makes no difference here. It is essentially the same story, but here the reader gets to discover more about Christian, who is a far more fascinating character than Anastasia. Her story is captivating – makes no mistake – but hers is more of a dark coming of age story. Unlike Anastasia, Christian has a past – one that is out of the ordinary in almost every respect. He has demons. Combined with the power he has amassed, that makes him dangerous, especially to someone like Anastasia. Anastasia’s story has her finding her own power and her own voice when she finds herself swept into a whirlwind relationship with a dark and powerful man. Christian’s story obviously goes further to shed light on what he is feeling throughout Anastasia’s story, and it doesn’t disappoint. Christian is a broken and misunderstood man who believes himself both incapable and undeserving of love until an unassuming college senior stumbles into his office and has him rethinking the all the rules in his well-ordered world.
Notably for fans, this book does not end in the same place as Anastasia’s story in Fifty Shades of Grey. The first book in her series ends Saturday, June 4. It has a devastating cliffhanger. The first book in Christian’s series, however, closes on the morning of Jose Rodriguez’s gallery opening – Thursday, June 9. By this time everyone knows Christian and Anastasia’s story doesn’t end on June 4. Fans also know that Christian undergoes a lot of soul searching between the first and second books in the Fifty Shades of Grey series. Finally getting to read Christian’s point of view and what he experienced when those elevator doors closed as well as the five subsequent days makes this book an essential read for fans. His character is broken and compelling, and his story is well worth reading even if you already know Anastasia’s.
Yes, this is a steamy story. Christian and Anastasia have incredible chemistry and those scenes burn up the pages. Christian is certainly well-educated in the playroom and Anastasia is a willing student. Those scenes serve to bring the couple closer, and due to their dark nature, they serve to promote trust and deepen intimacy. That carries over into the rest of the story. And there really is a story here, despite the hype. The characters are complex and real, even if the story itself is a fantasy. Christian is a young billionaire and leads a life most could never attain. In that respect their story is a modern version of the classic fairy tales, such as a modern Cinderella story – or perhaps Beauty and the Beast would be more appropriate. But even if it were scaled down and Christian’s success moderated, the dynamics between him and Anastasia would still make for a great story.
IN THIS BOOK:
The first book in this series takes place between May 9, 2011 and June 9, 2011.
Christian Grey, twenty-seven, has a lot of rules. Rules keep his world safe and afford him the control he craves. He is CEO of Grey Enterprises Holding, Inc., the Seattle-based company he started after graduating from Harvard. He devotes himself to his work, and it has paid off well. He owes it to his discipline and drive – and that he owes to Elena. Without her he probably would have ended up like his mother – a druggie who overdosed when he was just four. He has horrible memories of those days, and the nightmares still haunt him. He barely spoke for a long time afterward, even after being adopted by his parents.
Carrick and Grace gave all three of their adopted children love and a life of privilege. Elliot, Christian’s older brother, runs a successful construction company that specializes in eco-friendly housing. He is more happy go lucky, and is known as a lady’s man. His isn’t one for relationships. Mia is the little sister that captured Christian’s attention when she was welcomed into their family as a baby. She is in her early twenties and is just finishing up cooking school in Paris. Despite all the support of his parents, Christian struggled with anger as a child. He was heading down an ugly road until Elena entered his life at age fifteen.
Elena introduced Christian to the BDSM lifestyle. Following her rules helped him channel his anger and gave him the ability to focus on goals. He stayed with her five years before spreading his wings. He works long hours and doesn’t have much down time, but in addition to flying and boating, he enjoys unwinding with a sub in his playroom. It is a secret pleasure – and he intends to keep it that way. His family hasn’t a clue – he has never brought a girl home before; Elliot thinks he is a monk. Christian has since gone through many submissives over the years. He always enters into contractual agreements with the women so there are never any misunderstandings. It is the only kind of relationship he is capable of, and once the women want more from him he cuts ties. Susannah was his latest, and that ended about two months ago.
Christian is feeling restless and in need of a diversion when Miss Anastasia Steele stumbles into his office on an uneventful Monday. She is there in place of Katherine Kavanagh, her roommate who became ill last minute, to interview him for the WSU student newspaper, as he is giving the upcoming commence address. She is uncoordinated and lacks good fashion sense, and is someone he would normally dismiss, but something about her fascinates him. He finds humor where he would usually be irritated, and he sees possibility even though he knows he has no business pursuing her. Christian has never pursued a woman before – Elena has always helped him find a new sub. By the time Miss Steele bumbles through the interview, though, he is entirely lost to her unassuming beauty and klutzy charm.
Christian may be out of his comfort zone, but his money and power buy him powerful resources in the pursuit of Miss Steele, making him a little prone to stalker-like activity. The man is on a mission to win her over, and he soon finds out that she is more than he bargained for. He regrets having exposed someone so innocent to his lifestyle, but by then it is really too late. Anastasia seems to want him, too. As the couple tentatively moves forward, Christian hopes to establish boundaries and rules, bringing Anastasia into his world. She is open to trying new things but doesn’t hide the fact that she wants more. She wants a relationship.
The couple works on finding compromise, but that is easier said than done. Family and friends enter the fray, further complicating their confusing relationship and pushing them into situations they aren’t prepared to face. While Anastasia continues to amaze him with her bravery and willingness to try new things, Christian knows he is holding back on her. She wants him to open up, but he only really shares with Dr. Flynn – and of course Elena. He has secrets that he cannot share with Anastasia because they would scare her away, and he is too selfish to let her go. This story ends in a cliffhanger, but it is one of hope.
Christian’s story is dark, but it humanizes his brokenness. It is different than Anastasia’s story in that it takes the reader into his world, showing several of his nightmares and flashes of memory. Most of those reflect back on his childhood in Detroit, before he was adopted. A few are reflections of his childhood with the Greys, and there is a little with Elena and his submissives, too. There are also some small scenes about his business dealings, but those are all very minor. The biggest bonus found in Christian’s story is simply getting to know his character intimately. In Anastasia’s story, it takes time to unravel his tragic past and the abuse he suffered. Here, readers get to see how he reflects back on those times and how it impacts his life. There are several things that he kept from Anastasia, and in reading this it explains a lot of his behavior and decisions.
Christian Grey has become a household name. He represents the quintessential broken and reclusive billionaire who is incapable of a standard relationship or love. He lives a very private life – which is necessary to keep his BDSM lifestyle under wraps. Christian may be dictatorial and brash, but this tells the story of a boy and teen who suffered from abuse and grew into a man whose self worth had been beaten down. His anger never left him; he just channels it into his work and his rules. He hides his vulnerability from the world, too afraid to open himself up to more pain. His story is wonderfully written. The plot is somewhat complex. The characters are carefully crafted and three dimensional. They feel very real. The story is written in first person in Christian’s POV. I rate this book five full stars.
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Popular Highlights in this book
‘Only when the last leaf has fallen, the last tree has died, and the last fish been caught will we realize that we cannot eat money.’Highlighted by 2,663 Kindle readers- With one last lingering look at Anastasia Steele—the first woman I’ve ever slept with—I head out for my run.Highlighted by 692 Kindle readers
- Delibes’s “Flower Duet” fills the car and I begin to relax.Highlighted by 607 Kindle readers
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Customer reviews
IMO so much better than HER POV in FSOG
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2015
Honestly...what do you expect? It's going be mirror to FSOG, just in his POV. IDK y people are complaining...smh. Okay now for my review! I'm so totally not a fan of male solo POV. I've read FSOG. Loved the series. I understand Christians character. He might appear to be an 'alpha' male, but he's not. Not deep deep. He's still locked in that troubled 15 year old boy that had been molested. His brain doesn't function like a 'normal, true-blue' alpha-male hero.While I heart me some FSOG-Grey-in my humble opinion is TOPS to FSOG. TIMES INFINITY. I loved his POV. I loved it even better than FSOG. While it remained true to mirror Ana's POV time wise, to me it was like a whole new book. His thoughts, how he looks at life and how Ana plays such a big part in the way he opens up to try new things gave me a new perspective on who CG really is.Great read. SO MUCH BETTER WRITTEN THAN FSOG. Sorry but that's how I feel. No offense to how she wrote Ana. I like Grey so much better. Maybe because FSOG was very repetitive for me. Once again. My goddess. Blah. Blah. But his book is blunt and you learn so much more about that boy that was hurt and who only needs Ana to bring out the real man. So glad I got this book.I think this book popped up in my kindle like 12:30 am or so and I finished it by like 6:30 am. Trying not to disturb my hubby. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! Kudos to EL James!!! Now GIVE ME MORE GREY! I would love his opinion for Darker & Freed!!PLEASE!!! PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE!!!! Amazing book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2015
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Top reviews from other countries
Miss E Perrott
first of all I enjoyed it, the male perspective was far more erotic ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 24, 2016
Ms. J. Lee
Fifty Shades of...just the same
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 5, 2016
Kelly O'connor
A great retelling of a beautiful love story !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 25, 2015
Vikki Wilson
Repetitive but informative
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 22, 2021
