Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy
E. L. James
Vintage
ISBN 978-0345803481
Paperback reprint 2012
Price $15. 95
528 pages

Whoever said, "Sex sells," should be given some of the royalties for the best seller, Fifty Shades of Grey. Basically, the book is a fictional sex manual. This is not well written literature with sex in it like Tropic of Capricorn.

With Fifty Shades of Grey, the trilogy, all three books have been the top of the best sellers' lists for weeks now. Usually that tells me that this is a special book with excellent writing for the general public. That would mean to me that the overall population would benefit from reading this novel.

Fifty Shades of Grey is about a naive literature student, Anastasia Steele, nearing her graduation from college who fills in for her roommate in interviewing the young enigmatic entrepreneur, Christian Grey. She uses the questions that her roommate wrote for this interview which includes asking Mr. Grey if he is gay. She feels embarrassed after actually asking and the two naturally become magnetically attracted to each other, the perfect example of an opposite attraction.

Christian Grey is slightly older and very experienced sexually. Anastasia is a virgin. Fifty Shades of Grey is mostly about their sexually encounters, very graphically described.

Who is the intended audience for this trilogy?

With this best seller, I have concern about any person picking up this book without knowing about the sexually explicit content. I would hope that the intended audience is married females in their mid-twenties to fifties. If single men or women read this, I am concerned about whether they would set these novel experiences as an expectation. I
am very concerned about inexperienced teenagers reading this and considering this to be a guide for relationships.

There is not much of a story. Rich boy meets poor girl. They are interested in each other. Do they fall in love? Does sex equate to love?

He buys her a computer, a car, and clothes. She does not want to be used so she says that these things are a loan. Is this love?

At first, this novel reminded me of a more mature Twilight which is a teenager romance. Actually Twilight is better written and has more character development and action that is not sexual.

Why is this book on the best sellers' lists? I have a problem believing that the general public, men included, would enjoy this book especially if they are accustomed to well written literature. Apparently sex sells as shown by the ranking of Fifty Shades of Grey. For further books like this, go to your local adult book store. (No, I will not be there.)