Here's what our readers thought of E.L. James' Fifty Shades ...

Published: Sunday | October 28, 2012 Comments 0

E.L. James' Fifty Shades series is a great novel. It's the mature version of a fairy tale. When we are kids we read about the prince who finds his true love or the princess who finds her "knight in shining armour" and lives happily ever after. Well this book is the same. It's the adult version to a fairy tale we women have craved ever since we were little girls growing up; to find a handsome man, who gives great sexual pleasure and loves us unconditionally. The book just has a few twists and "perks" and I think that's what made it so interesting, exciting, addictive and fun to read.

- Barbie Slim

Fifty Shades of Grey, for me, was a very interesting read. It came across as a Cinderella story where Ana - being Cinderella - ends up with the prince - Christian. I think that it's Christian's secretive yet lavish lifestyle that captures Ana and makes him irresistible. Every girl's dream is to be with a rich man, but not one with a huge, kinky sexual appetite.

Fifty Shades also made me understand, yet again, that children live what they learn. It is because of what was done to Christian as a teen why he now carries out this weird lifestyle. The style of writing in the first book was very poor, but got better in books two and three. After about the the first few lines, it was very difficult to stop reading.

CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE!!!!!!

- Khris

The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is every girl's Cinderella fairytale - just the grown-up, MA-rated version that would only air on the Playboy channel.

It details the main character Anastasia Steele's strange, yet addictive relationship with uber-sexy, multi-billionaire Christian Grey. Grey meets the awkward Steele by happenstance and their love story begins to play out in the three-book storyline.

At first, Grey seems to be the perfect man who's got it all. That is, until you discover that he's into S&M - seriously into S&M - and the reason behind it all will shock the reader as it draws the two characters closer together.

Though the millions of women who've already read the book will agree that it's a page-turner, there are a great many hindrances that don't make the story flow as fluidly as was probably intended.

In the first book, the reader will be subjected to author E.L. James' painful use of narrative from the main character. The language is also riddled with British idioms that are extremely out of place given the story's American setting. It should be noted, however, that in the sequels, the language is improved immensely and there is way more character development and a much deeper storyline that doesn't revolve around just freaky, bondage sex.

All in all, it's a great read for curious women in their 20s all the way up to moms in their 40s, (although I've seen a great deal of men hide and read this one!). We'll just have to wait and see the true statistics when the movie makes it to the box office next year.

- Shan

Have you read it ?

E.L James' sensational read has been flying off shelves everywhere.

Did it tickle your fancy or was it much ado about nothing? Tell us what you thought in 100 words or fewer.

Send feedback to

monique.murray@gleanerjm.com.

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