I was ready for this! Gray Saturday afternoon, I dressed for the occassion – it was definitely a casual affair ; shorts and a tank top, made sure I had a drink too – a bottle of Desperado beer (judge ye not..this is the best beer ever) and got ready to be swept away in to this foreign land. Unless you’ve been bungee jumping at the Victoria Falls or climbing Mount Kiliminjaro or sailing in the South of France and not had time to check social media or the internet because you’re out there living and having fun – you have come across a tweet or post most likely from my fellow XX chromosome carrying species, about the book 5O Shades of Grey by E L James. I always try to not follow the hype but after chatting with my friend and also reading an article where Ryan Gosling, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Pattinson were amongst a poll of those most likely to play Christian Grey – now let me say I’m not crazy about Ryan Gosling but I watched him in Drive and Crazy Stupid Love and I liked him as an actor (not the fact that he stands in his buff showing off his toned body and looking sexy in Crazy Stupid Love)so I had to read about this Christian Grey because it seemed he must be an interesting and good looking character.
Regrettably this is not the first time I have followed the hype! I read the Twilight book, but at least with Twilight I feel Stephanie Meyer’s target audience was teenagers and that book is written for such an audience – Shades of Grey however is not meant for teenagers, its for women, middle-aged ones for that matter but somehow I feel like the author has a disconnect. ‘Christian Grey had grey eyes’, yes this is in the book,seriously!How would I describe this book – Marmite you either love it or hate it! I hated it! With every flick of a page I got more and more irritated by the repetetive prose – Holy Crap, Inner Goddess,Subconscious, foil packet and the lip biting. The erotica is there in explicit detail however very repetitive, I am not a novice to erotica therefore my not enjoying the book can not be put to me acting prudish. May I dare ask why Christian is never naked during the sex scenes anyway; as he’s either in his white linen shirt or just opens the trousers zip?
Yes there’s a storyline but I am not going to read the trilogy to truly understand how Christian Grey is a man with emotional issues and Ana is innocent and unassuming and trying to be Madame-Save-Christian-Grey. Would I call this book a memorable book? Probably yes but for all the wrong reasons – I was tipsy by the time I finished reading it and also just disappointed and on the verge of rewriting the book and maybe making a phone call! Will I watch the movie? Probably if Ryan Gosling or Chris Hemsworth play Mr Grey.
Have you read the book? Care to share your thoughts?
Chaud: The Magazine 
Lol @ Christian Gray had grey eyes! I think you’re the wrong target audience for the book anyway – its meant for the middle aged mother who will be at home bored with housework whilst waiting on husband and the kids to return home – like me and I enjoyed trilogy but I get where you are coming from.
PS: Did you really pick up on that Mr Grey was never naked?LOL!
Good succinct review!
PS: Reading this again this morning – hope you realise it was tongue-in-cheek comment about you being the wrong target audience…no offence meant
Rubbish book
That picture up there!!!Thank you Chaud, thank you!LOOOL!
I enjoyed the book but you are right on it being repetitive. Those men up there..my man looks like Ryan.
Christian Grey has emotional issues stemming from when he was young and Ana is trying to help him.
Oh my! Those men……. Sigh!
I didn’t hate it nor did I absolutely love it. Did it manage to give me an insight into the lifestyle.. a little. I definitely lifted an eyebrow or two at some of the scenes in the book and that contract… Lord… it had me talking. The success I think of Fifty Shades of Grey is it’s ability to be consumed eagerly by the mainstream particularly with the subject matter being BDSM. I say lower the expectation of it being a great literary read and you’ll probably finish all three books, sitting in the su with margarita’s on hand.
I’m halfway through it and I want to slap the author! If I have to hear about any more lip biting or Ana’s bloody subconscious…. The thing is, the story is quite interesting but the writing is truly woeful. I don’t know why all these undeserving books get all the hype.
Kudos to all you ladies who managed to pick up the book and read it. Based on the hype alone I just can’t do it. I can only do hype surrounded by movies. Your reviews have reminded me not to even bother even if I do get suckered in. I saw a woman on the bus getting stuck into the book while her toddler was in the pram with a dirty foot bottom and toe nails. Look at what this book is doing to our nation. She couldn’t even whip out two baby wipes for that child’s foot but had time to sit down and get engrossed in this book. I looked at her looked at the dirty feet kissed my teeth and shook my head.