Fifty Shades Of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy (Fifty Shades of Grey Series, 1) by E. L. James
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Fifty Shades Of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy (Fifty Shades of Grey Series, 1)

by

E. L. James

(Author)

4.2

-

112,323 ratings


"And in this quiet moment as I close my eyes, spent and sated, I think I'm in the eye of the storm. And in spite of all he's said, and what he hasn't said, I don't think I have ever been so happy."

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana's quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey's secrets and explores her own dark desires.

  • An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
  • More than 165 Million Copies Sold Worldwide
  • One of 100 Great Reads in the Great American Read
  • 133 Weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List

This book is intended for mature audiences.

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ISBN-10

0345803485

ISBN-13

978-0345803481

Print length

514 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Bloom Books

Publication date

April 02, 2012

Dimensions

5.19 x 1.36 x 8 inches

Item weight

0.03 ounces



Popular highlights in this book

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  • It’s called Spem in Alium, a forty-part motet by Thomas Tallis.

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  • “Chopin. Prelude opus twenty-eight, number four. In E minor, if you’re interested,” he murmurs.

    Highlighted by 2,615 Kindle readers



Editorial reviews

A GoodReads Choice Awards Finalist for Best Romance"In a class by itself." - Entertainment Weekly


Sample

CHAPTER ONE

I scowl with frustration at myself in the mirror. Damn my hair―it just won't behave, and damn Katherine Kavanagh for being ill and subjecting me to this ordeal. I should be studying for my final exams, which are next week, yet here I am trying to brush my hair into submission. I must not sleep with it wet. I must not sleep with it wet. Reciting this mantra several times, I attempt, once more, to bring it under control with the brush. I roll my eyes in exasperation and gaze at the pale, brown-haired girl with blue eyes too big for her face staring back at me, and give up. My only option is to restrain my wayward hair in a ponytail and hope that I look semi-presentable.

Kate is my roommate, and she has chosen today of all days to succumb to the flu. Therefore, she cannot attend the interview she'd arranged to do, with some mega-industrialist tycoon I've never heard of, for the student newspaper. So I have been volunteered. I have final exams to cram for and one essay to finish, and I'm supposed to be working this afternoon, but no―today I have to drive 165 miles to downtown Seattle in order to meet the enigmatic CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc. As an exceptional entrepreneur and major benefactor of our university, his time is extraordinarily precious―much more precious than mine―but he has granted Kate an interview. A real coup, she tells me. Damn her extracurricular activities.

Kate is huddled on the couch in the living room.

"Ana, I'm sorry. It took me nine months to get this interview. It will take another six to reschedule, and we'll both have graduated by then. As the editor, I can't blow this off. Please," Kate begs me in her rasping, sore throat voice. How does she do it? Even ill she looks gamine and gorgeous, strawberry blond hair in place and green eyes bright, although now red rimmed and runny. I ignore my pang of unwelcome sympathy.

"Of course I'll go, Kate. You should get back to bed. Would you like some NyQuil or Tylenol?"

"NyQuil, please. Here are the questions and my digital recorder. Just press record here. Make notes, I'll transcribe it all."

"I know nothing about him," I murmur, trying and failing to suppress my rising panic.

"The questions will see you through. Go. It's a long drive. I don't want you to be late."

"Okay, I'm going. Get back to bed. I made you some soup to heat up later." I stare at her fondly. Only for you, Kate, would I do this.

"I will. Good luck. And thanks, Ana―as usual, you're my lifesaver."

Gathering my backpack, I smile wryly at her, then head out the door to the car. I cannot believe I have let Kate talk me into this. But then Kate can talk anyone into anything. She'll make an exceptional journalist. She's articulate, strong, persuasive, argumentative, beautiful―and she's my dearest, dearest friend.

The roads are clear as I set off from Vancouver, Washington, toward Interstate 5. It's early, and I don't have to be in Seattle until two this afternoon. Fortunately, Kate has lent me her sporty Mercedes CLK. I'm not sure Wanda, my old VW Beetle, would make the journey in time. Oh, the Merc is a fun drive, and the miles slip away as I hit the pedal to the metal.

My destination is the headquarters of Mr. Grey's global enterprise. It's a huge twenty-story office building, all curved glass and steel, an architect's utilitarian fantasy, with GREY HOUSE written discreetly in steel over the glass front doors. It's a quarter to two when I arrive, greatly relieved that I'm not late as I walk into the enormous―and frankly intimidating―glass, steel, and white sandstone lobby.

Behind the solid sandstone desk, a very attractive, groomed, blonde young woman smiles pleasantly at me. She's wearing the sharpest charcoal suit jacket and white shirt I have ever seen. She looks immaculate.

"I'm here to see Mr. Grey. Anastasia Steele for Katherine Kavanagh."

"Excuse me one moment, Miss Steele." She arches her eyebrow as I stand self-consciously before her. I'm beginning to wish I'd borrowed one of Kate's formal blazers rather than worn my navy-blue jacket. I have made an effort and worn my one and only skirt, my sensible brown knee-length boots, and a blue sweater. For me, this is smart. I tuck one of the escaped tendrils of my hair behind my ear as I pretend she doesn't intimidate me.

"Miss Kavanagh is expected. Please sign in here, Miss Steele. You'll want the last elevator on the right, press for the twentieth floor." She smiles kindly at me, amused no doubt, as I sign in.

She hands me a security pass that has "visitor" very firmly stamped on the front. I can't help my smirk. Surely it's obvious that I'm just visiting. I don't fit in here at all. Nothing changes. I inwardly sigh. Thanking her, I walk over to the bank of elevators and past the two security men who are both far more smartly dressed than I am in their well-cut black suits.

The elevator whisks me at terminal velocity to the twentieth floor. The doors slide open, and I'm in another large lobby―again all glass, steel, and white sandstone. I'm confronted by another desk of sandstone and another young blonde woman, this time dressed impeccably in black and white, who rises to greet me.

"Miss Steele, could you wait here, please?" She points to a seated area of white leather chairs.

Behind the leather chairs is a spacious glass-walled meeting room with an equally spacious dark wood table and at least twenty matching chairs around it. Beyond that, there is a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the Seattle skyline that looks out through the city toward the Sound. It's a stunning vista, and I'm momentarily paralyzed by the view. Wow.

I sit down, fish the questions from my backpack, and go through them, inwardly cursing Kate for not providing me with a brief biography. I know nothing about this man I'm about to interview. He could be ninety or he could be thirty. The uncertainty is galling, and my nerves resurface, making me fidget. I've never been comfortable with one-on-one interviews, preferring the anonymity of a group discussion where I can sit inconspicuously at the back of the room. To be honest, I prefer my own company, reading a classic British novel, curled up in a chair in the campus library. Not sitting twitching nervously in a colossal glass-and-stone edifice.

I roll my eyes at myself. Get a grip, Steele. Judging from the building, which is too clinical and modern, I guess Grey is in his forties: fit, tanned, and fair-haired to match the rest of the personnel.

Another elegant, flawlessly dressed blonde comes out of a large door to the right. What is it with all the immaculate blondes? It's like Stepford here. Taking a deep breath, I stand up.

"Miss Steele?" the latest blonde asks.

"Yes," I croak, and clear my throat. "Yes." There, that sounded more confident.

"Mr. Grey will see you in a moment. May I take your jacket?"

"Oh, please." I struggle out of the jacket.

"Have you been offered any refreshment?"

"Um―no." Oh dear, is Blonde Number One in trouble?

Blonde Number Two frowns and eyes the young woman at the desk. "Would you like tea, coffee, water?" she asks, turning her attention back to me.

"A glass of water. Thank you," I murmur.

"Olivia, please fetch Miss Steele a glass of water." Her voice is stern. Olivia scoots up and scurries to a door on the other side of the foyer.

"My apologies, Miss Steele, Olivia is our new intern. Please be seated. Mr. Grey will be another five minutes."

Olivia returns with a glass of iced water.

"Here you go, Miss Steele."

"Thank you."

Blonde Number Two marches over to the large desk, her heels clicking and echoing on the sandstone floor. She sits down, and they both continue their work.

Perhaps Mr. Grey insists on all his employees being blonde. I'm wondering idly if that's legal, when the office door opens and a tall, elegantly dressed, attractive African American man with short dreads exits. I have definitely worn the wrong clothes.

He turns and says through the door, "Golf this week, Grey?"

I don't hear the reply. He turns, sees me, and smiles, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. Olivia has jumped up and called the elevator. She seems to excel at jumping from her seat. She's more nervous than me!

"Good afternoon, ladies," he says as he departs through the sliding door.

"Mr. Grey will see you now, Miss Steele. Do go through," Blonde Number Two says. I stand rather shakily, trying to suppress my nerves. Gathering up my backpack, I abandon my glass of water and make my way to the partially open door.

"You don't need to knock―just go in." She smiles kindly.

I push open the door and stumble through, tripping over my own feet and falling headfirst into the office.

Double crap―me and my two left feet! I am on my hands and knees in the doorway to Mr. Grey's office, and gentle hands are around me, helping me to stand. I am so embarrassed, damn my clumsiness. I have to steel myself to glance up. Holy cow―he's so young.

"Miss Kavanagh." He extends a long-fingered hand to me once I'm upright. "I'm Christian Grey. Are you all right? Would you like to sit?"

So young―and attractive, very attractive. He's tall, dressed in a fine gray suit, white shirt, and black tie with unruly dark copper-colored hair and intense, bright gray eyes that regard me shrewdly. It takes a moment for me to find my voice.

"Um. Actually―" I mutter. If this guy is over thirty, then I'm a monkey's uncle. In a daze, I place my hand in his and we shake. As our fingers touch, I feel an odd exhilarating shiver run through me. I withdraw my hand hastily, embarrassed. Must be static. I blink rapidly, my eyelids matching my heart rate.

"Miss Kavanagh is indisposed, so she sent me. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Grey."

"And you are?" His voice is warm, possibly amused, but it's difficult to tell from his impassive expression. He looks mildly interested but, above all, polite.

"Anastasia Steele. I'm studying English literature with Kate, um . . . Katherine . . . um . . . Miss Kavanagh, at WSU Vancouver."

"I see," he says simply. I think I see the ghost of a smile in his expression, but I'm not sure.

"Would you like to sit?" He waves me toward an L-shaped white leather couch.

His office is way too big for just one man. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, there's a modern dark wood desk that six people could comfortably eat around. It matches the coffee table by the couch. Everything else is white―ceiling, floors, and walls, except for the wall by the door, where a mosaic of small paintings hang, thirty-six of them arranged in a square. They are exquisite―a series of mundane, forgotten objects painted in such precise detail they look like photographs. Displayed together, they are breathtaking.

"A local artist. Trouton," says Grey when he catches my gaze.

"They're lovely. Raising the ordinary to extraordinary," I murmur, distracted both by him and the paintings. He cocks his head to one side and regards me intently.

"I couldn't agree more, Miss Steele," he replies, his voice soft, and for some inexplicable reason I find myself blushing.

Apart from the paintings, the rest of the office is cold, clean, and clinical. I wonder if it reflects the personality of the Adonis who sinks gracefully into one of the white leather chairs opposite me. I shake my head, disturbed at the direction of my thoughts, and retrieve Kate's questions from my backpack. Next, I set up the digital recorder and am all fingers and thumbs, dropping it twice on the coffee table in front of me. Mr. Grey says nothing, waiting patiently―I hope―as I become increasingly embarrassed and flustered. When I pluck up the courage to look at him, he's watching me, one hand relaxed in his lap and the other cupping his chin and trailing his long index finger across his lips. I think he's trying to suppress a smile.

"S-sorry," I stutter. "I'm not used to this."

"Take all the time you need, Miss Steele," he says.

"Do you mind if I record your answers?"

"After you've taken so much trouble to set up the recorder, you ask me now?"

I flush. He's teasing me? I hope. I blink at him, unsure what to say, and I think he takes pity on me because he relents. "No, I don't mind."

"Did Kate, I mean, Miss Kavanagh, explain what the interview was for?"

"Yes. To appear in the graduation issue of the student newspaper as I shall be conferring the degrees at this year's graduation ceremony."

Oh! This is news to me, and I'm temporarily preoccupied by the thought that someone not much older than me―okay, maybe six years or so, and okay, mega-successful, but still―is going to present me with my degree. I frown, dragging my wayward attention back to the task at hand.

"Good." I swallow nervously. "I have some questions, Mr. Grey." I smooth a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"I thought you might," he says, deadpan. He's laughing at me. My cheeks heat at the realization, and I sit up and square my shoulders in an attempt to look taller and more intimidating. Pressing the start button on the recorder, I try to look professional.

"You're very young to have amassed such an empire. To what do you owe your success?" I glance up at him. His smile is rueful, but he looks vaguely disappointed.

"Business is all about people, Miss Steele, and I'm very good at judging people. I know how they tick, what makes them flourish, what doesn't, what inspires them, and how to incentivize them. I employ an exceptional team, and I reward them well." He pauses and fixes me with his gray stare. "My belief is to achieve success in any scheme one has to make oneself master of that scheme, know it inside and out, know every detail. I work hard, very hard to do that. I make decisions based on logic and facts. I have a natural gut instinct that can spot and nurture a good solid idea and good people. The bottom line is it's always down to good people."

"Maybe you're just lucky." This isn't on Kate's list―but he's so arrogant. His eyes flare momentarily in surprise.

"I don't subscribe to luck or chance, Miss Steele. The harder I work the more luck I seem to have. It really is all about having the right people on your team and directing their energies accordingly. I think it was Harvey Firestone who said, 'The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.' "

"You sound like a control freak." The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them.

"Oh, I exercise control in all things, Miss Steele," he says without a trace of humor in his smile. I look at him, and he holds my gaze steadily, impassive. My heartbeat quickens, and my face flushes again.

Why does he have such an unnerving effect on me? His overwhelming good looks maybe? The way his eyes blaze at me? The way he strokes his index finger against his lower lip? I wish he'd stop doing that.

"Besides, immense power is acquired by assuring yourself in your secret reveries that you were born to control things," he continues, his voice soft.

"Do you feel that you have immense power?" Control freak.

"I employ over forty thousand people, Miss Steele. That gives me a certain sense of responsibility―power, if you will. If I were to decide I was no longer interested in the telecommunications business and sell, twenty thousand people would struggle to make their mortgage payments after a month or so."

My mouth drops open. I am staggered by his lack of humility.

"Don't you have a board to answer to?" I ask, disgusted.

"I own my company. I don't have to answer to a board." He raises an eyebrow at me. Of course, I would know this if I had done some research. But holy crap, he's arrogant. I change tack.

"And do you have any interests outside your work?"

"I have varied interests, Miss Steele." A ghost of a smile touches his lips. "Very varied." And for some reason, I'm confounded and heated by his steady gaze. His eyes are alight with some wicked thought.

"But if you work so hard, what do you do to chill out?"

"Chill out?" He smiles, revealing perfect white teeth. I stop breathing. He really is beautiful. No one should be this good-looking.

"Well, to 'chill out,' as you put it―I sail, I fly, I indulge in various physical pursuits." He shifts in his chair. "I'm a very wealthy man, Miss Steele, and I have expensive and absorbing hobbies."

I glance quickly at Kate's questions, wanting to get off this subject.

"You invest in manufacturing. Why, specifically?" I ask. Why does he make me so uncomfortable?

"I like to build things. I like to know how things work: what makes things tick, how to construct and deconstruct. And I have a love of ships. What can I say?"

"That sounds like your heart talking rather than logic and facts."

His mouth quirks up, and he stares appraisingly at me.

"Possibly. Though there are people who'd say I don't have a heart."

"Why would they say that?"

"Because they know me well." His lip curls in a wry smile.

"Would your friends say you're easy to get to know?" And I regret the question as soon as I say it. It's not on Kate's list.

"I'm a very private person, Miss Steele. I go a long way to protect my privacy. I don't often give interviews . . ."

"Why did you agree to do this one?"

"Because I'm a benefactor of the university, and for all intents and purposes, I couldn't get Miss Kavanagh off my back. She badgered and badgered my PR people, and I admire that kind of tenacity."

I know how tenacious Kate can be. That's why I'm sitting here squirming uncomfortably under his penetrating gaze, when I should be studying for my exams.

"You also invest in farming technologies. Why are you interested in that area?"

"We can't eat money, Miss Steele, and there are too many people on this planet who don't have enough to eat."

"That sounds very philanthropic. Is it something you feel passionately about? Feeding the world's poor?"

He shrugs noncommittally.

"It's shrewd business," he murmurs, though I think he's being disingenuous. It doesn't make sense―feeding the world's poor? I can't see the financial benefit of this, only the virtue of the ideal. I glance at the next question, confused by his attitude.

"Do you have a philosophy? If so, what is it?"

"I don't have a philosophy as such. Maybe a guiding principle―Carnegie's: 'A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.' I'm very singular, driven. I like control―of myself and those around me."

"So you want to possess things?" You are a control freak.

"I want to deserve to possess them, but yes, bottom line, I do."

"You sound like the ultimate consumer."

"I am." He smiles, but the smile doesn't touch his eyes. Again, this is at odds with someone who wants to feed the world, so I can't help thinking that we're talking about something else, but I'm mystified as to what it is. I swallow hard. The temperature in the room is rising, or maybe it's just me. I just want this interview to be over. Surely Kate has enough material now. I glance at the next question.

"You were adopted. How much do you think that's shaped the way you are?" Oh, this is personal. I stare at him, hoping he's not offended. His brow furrows.

"I have no way of knowing."

My interest is piqued. "How old were you when you were adopted?"

"That's a matter of public record, Miss Steele." His tone is stern. Crap. Yes, of course―if I'd known I was doing this interview, I would have done some research. Flustered, I move on quickly.

"You've had to sacrifice family life for your work."

"That's not a question." He's terse.

"Sorry." I squirm; he's made me feel like an errant child. I try again. "Have you had to sacrifice family life for your work?"

"I have a family. I have a brother and a sister and two loving parents. I'm not interested in extending my family beyond that."

"Are you gay, Mr. Grey?"

He inhales sharply, and I cringe, mortified. Crap. Why didn't I employ some kind of filter before I read this straight out? How can I tell him I'm just reading the questions? Damn Kate and her curiosity!

"No, Anastasia, I'm not." He raises his eyebrows, a cool gleam in his eyes. He does not look pleased.

"I apologize. It's, um . . . written here." It's the first time he's said my name. My heartbeat has accelerated, and my cheeks are heating up again. Nervously, I tuck my loosened hair behind my ear.

He cocks his head to one side.

"These aren't your own questions?"

The blood drains from my head.

"Er . . . no. Kate―Miss Kavanagh―she compiled the questions."

"Are you colleagues on the student paper?" Oh no. I have nothing to do with the student paper. It's her extracurricular activity, not mine. My face is aflame.

"No. She's my roommate."

He rubs his chin in quiet deliberation, his gray eyes appraising me.

"Did you volunteer to do this interview?" he asks, his voice deadly quiet.

Hang on, who's supposed to be interviewing whom? His eyes burn into me, and I'm compelled to answer with the truth.

"I was drafted. She's not well." My voice is weak and apologetic.

"That explains a great deal."

There's a knock at the door, and Blonde Number Two enters.

"Mr. Grey, forgive me for interrupting, but your next meeting is in two minutes."

"We're not finished here, Andrea. Please cancel my next meeting."

Andrea hesitates, gaping at him. She appears lost. He turns his head slowly to face her and raises his eyebrows. She flushes bright pink. Oh, good. It's not just me.

"Very well, Mr. Grey," she mutters, then exits. He frowns, and turns his attention back to me.

"Where were we, Miss Steele?"

Oh, we're back to "Miss Steele" now.

"Please, don't let me keep you from anything."

"I want to know about you. I think that's only fair." His eyes are alight with curiosity. Double crap. Where's he going with this? He places his elbows on the arms of the chair and steeples his fingers in front of his mouth. His mouth is very . . . distracting. I swallow.

"There's not much to know."

"What are your plans after you graduate?"

I shrug, thrown by his interest. Move to Seattle with Kate, find a job. I haven't really thought beyond my finals.

"I haven't made any plans, Mr. Grey. I just need to get through my final exams." Which I should be studying for right now, rather than sitting in your palatial, swanky, sterile office, feeling uncomfortable under your penetrating gaze.

"We run an excellent internship program here," he says quietly. I raise my eyebrows in surprise. Is he offering me a job?

"Oh. I'll bear that in mind," I murmur, confounded. "Though I'm not sure I'd fit in here." Oh no. I'm musing out loud again.

"Why do you say that?" He tilts his head to one side, intrigued, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" I'm uncoordinated, scruffy, and I'm not blonde.

"Not to me." His gaze is intense, all humor gone, and strange muscles deep in my belly clench suddenly. I tear my eyes away from his scrutiny and stare blindly down at my knotted fingers. What's going on? I have to go―now. I lean forward to retrieve the recorder.

"Would you like me to show you around?" he asks.

"I'm sure you're far too busy, Mr. Grey, and I do have a long drive."

"You're driving back to Vancouver?" He sounds surprised, anxious even. He glances out of the window. It's begun to rain. "Well, you'd better drive carefully." His tone is stern, authoritative. Why should he care? "Did you get everything you need?" he adds.

"Yes, sir," I reply, packing the recorder into my backpack. His eyes narrow, speculatively.

"Thank you for the interview, Mr. Grey."

"The pleasure's been all mine," he says, polite as ever.

As I rise, he stands and holds out his hand.

"Until we meet again, Miss Steele." And it sounds like a challenge, or a threat, I'm not sure which. I frown. When will we ever meet again? I shake his hand once more, astounded that that odd current between us is still there. It must be my nerves.

"Mr. Grey." I nod at him. Moving with lithe athletic grace to the door, he opens it wide.

"Just ensuring you make it through the door, Miss Steele." He gives me a small smile. Obviously, he's referring to my earlier less-than-elegant entry into his office. I blush.

"That's very considerate, Mr. Grey," I snap, and his smile widens. I'm glad you find me entertaining, I glower inwardly, walking into the foyer. I'm surprised when he follows me out. Andrea and Olivia both look up, equally surprised.

"Did you have a coat?" Grey asks.

"A jacket."

Olivia leaps up and retrieves my jacket, which Grey takes from her before she can hand it to me. He holds it up and, feeling ridiculously self-conscious, I shrug it on. Grey places his hands for a moment on my shoulders. I gasp at the contact. If he notices my reaction, he gives nothing away. His long index finger presses the button summoning the elevator, and we stand waiting―awkwardly on my part, coolly self-possessed on his. The doors open, and I hurry in, desperate to escape. I really need to get out of here. When I turn to look at him, he's gazing at me and leaning against the doorway beside the elevator with one hand on the wall. He really is very, very good-looking. It's unnerving.

"Anastasia," he says as a farewell.

"Christian," I reply. And mercifully, the doors close.

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About the authors

E. L. James

E. L. James

E L James is an incurable romantic and a self-confessed fangirl. After twenty-five years of working in television, she decided to pursue a childhood dream and write stories that readers could take to their hearts. The result was the controversial and sensuous romance Fifty Shades of Grey and its two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. In 2015, she published the #1 bestseller Grey, the story of Fifty Shades of Grey from the perspective of Christian Grey, and in 2017, the chart-topping Darker, the second part of the Fifty Shades story from Christian’s point of view. Her books have been published in fifty languages and have sold more than 165 million copies worldwide.

E L James has been recognised as one of Time magazine's ‘Most Influential People in the World’ and Publishers Weekly’s ‘Person of the Year’. Fifty Shades of Grey stayed on The New York Times Best Seller List for 133 consecutive weeks. Fifty Shades Freed won the Goodreads Choice Award (2012), and Fifty Shades of Grey was selected as one of the 100 Great Reads, as voted by readers, in PBS’s The Great American Read (2018). Darker has been long-listed for the 2019 International DUBLIN Literary Award.

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

112,323 global ratings

Ms. Linda L.

Ms. Linda L.

5

Is it really THAT IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE....????!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016

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While many may criticize E. L. James for her lack of proper "professional" style writings, as others criticize this as some "fairy tale" from the fantasy dreams of a teenage girl, is it REALLY so hard to imagine that a man, ESPECIALLY, who had such a supposedly horrible & tragic childhood trauma thrust upon him at such a very early stage in his life, who is then truly rescued by a doctor & her husband (as she is the first kind person he encounters in the ER when he is finally "rescued" from the nightmare of a life he has lived til the day his mother dies) when they adopt him and raise him to be the very BEST he can by showing him all the world can offer IF he is able to persevere, commit his time and energy , and work diligently to reach, and maybe even EXCEED, his goals and expectations, a man like this could achieve INCREDIBLE success, at a younger age than someone of less traumatic events in their past and less opportunities than "Christian" was given, and NOT have learned an INCREDIBLE amount of information & skills that others might not because they ALSO were not approached by a "wolf in sheep's clothing" style pedophile in the form of a close family friend, INCLUDING how to take care of a woman's sexual needs & desires in an expert manner, again at an early age, and ALSO be driven to the point of obsession to be an OUTRAGEOUSLY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MOGUL so he is NEVER, EVER at another human being's feet to be controlled like a slave??? Now, given ALL of that, is it REALLY TOO HYSTERICALLY CRAZY & IMPOSSIBLE to imagine, after all that happening in ONE man's life, that by sheer irony & strange LUCK, he would NOT suddenly, and inexplicably to HIM, come across such an individual as "Anastasia" that at first meeting, seems to be a "submissive-type girl" and is instead realized to be a woman who is quiet but more confident and self-assured that even SHE realizes?! AND, in this chance, and quite possibly FATE-FILLED, introduction and continued interaction between them, given her quite imaginative and creative mind, and her own deep but unfulfilled desires, is it REALLY so hard to believe that such a woman would NOT be able to orgasm as easily as she seems to in this novel, especially when there is that hint of danger and the "forbidden fruit" tantalization to what Christian is asking of her, and truly seems to NEED from her, even when she knows how psychotic and deranged it all sounds to her rational and protective parts of her brain?! Let's be honest with ourselves and easy other and ACCEPT that no matter how weird, crazy, incredibly outrageous, and downright INSANE & DANGEROUS this alternate lifestyle SEEMS to be, it has been MISUNDERSTOOD, MISJUDGED, AND VILLIANIZED FOR FAR TOO LONG!! Having friends and acquaintances who live this way, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, there is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH MORE to D and s, BDSM, and whatever else you want to call it, than 75-90% of the WORLD'S inhabitants will EVER even TRY to understand or REMOTELY COMPREHEND in THEIR lifetimes!!

So, given this limitation of the human being, individually and collectively, it is no wonder that so many have tried to shoot down this bold and brave expression, and baby-steps introduction, of this alternative way of life that so MANY people around the world, 99.9% of the time EXTREMELY SECRETIVELY, LIVE OUT EVERY DAY, IN UNLIMITED WAYS, every moment they possibly can to be who they truly are in the HEALTHIEST AND SAFEST WAYS POSSIBLE!!

At the core of this alternate lifestyle is a FIRM BELIEF AND "CODE", if you will. Simply said, "Safe, Sane, and always CONSENSUAL!!" Basically, it means that there must ALWAYS be safety measures involved to protect EVERYONE from PERMANENT, IRREVERSIBLE HARM, both physically and psychologically, and EVERY INDIVIDUAL TAKING PART MUST be of sound mind in making the deliberate CHOICE to be a part of any relationship in this realm, meaning they are ABLE, LEGALLY AND OTHERWISE, to GIVE CONSENT, without being given undue pressure, coersion, and/or trickery, to being involved in any aspect of this lifestyle. If you are not certain you WANT to give permission, because of alarming behavior, improper PRESSURE to ignore something you see or hear that is a warning, or just an unknown but strong gut feeling, GET AWAY AND DO NOT RETURN until you are clear and confident that in giving consent to ANYTHING, whether in THIS lifestyle or any other area of your life, you are certain that you are safe, being watched over properly and sanely, and that you ALWAYS have an option to LEAVE ANY SITUATION, willingly & without reprisal, AT ANY TIME!! This goes for EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF ANY PERSON'S LIFE ~ Business, Personal, Family, Friends, etc. ~ so that ALL have the freedom to be who they are without fear of being persecuted, or WORSE, for determining the course of their OWN LIFE JOURNEYS!!

This novel, the 1st in the "Fifty Shades" trilogy, is a first step inside this "alternate life path" that has been in the dark for far too long!! IF a reader, with no previous FACTUAL knowledge about this way of life, makes a judgement against this book and what it is trying to help people understand better, BEFORE getting additional, alternative sourced FACTS and background, then it is the READER who is in error, NOT E.L. JAMES!! There is so much complexity and HEALTHY psychology involved that to pass it off as "CRAZY, UNHEALTHY, AND JUST PLAIN TOO DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE" does a criminal injustice to the multitude and variety of healthy, QUITE SANE, and simply ordinary looking people who find happiness, joy, and completeness of self in living this path. In fact, I would be willing to bet, if you were able to get EVERY SINGLE PERSON involved in this "lifestyle" to abruptly, and all at the same second in time, publicly declare their involvement in, and satisfaction from, this unique way of existing that goes WAY, WAY, WAY BEYOND JUST SEXUAL CONNOTATION AND ACTIVITY, ALONE, every one of us would be completely STUNNED & INCREDULOUS when we learn that the quiet church-going, community service volunteer we sat next to at church services last Sunday, is, in reality, the Dominant female in a D/s and/or BDSM relationship with the President of some Fortune 500 company!! We probably ALL interact with AT LEAST ONE PERSON, every day, that is keeping that part of themselves EXTREMELY PRIVATE & WELL HIDDEN from 98% of the people in their lives.

So, if you looked into the true realistic potential of the HUNDREDS of allegedly "impossible and/or outlandish" aspects of each character in this book, I suspect you would ALL be shocked at how POSSIBLE they really could be, in REAL LIFE!! And to those naysayers who refuse to believe that ANY woman could orgasm THAT EASILY, think about this next bit of info I learned from a friend in the lifestyle. She had been trained, over a series of months, maybe even a year or more (I can't recall the exact time it took), how to make herself orgasm ON HER MASTER'S IMMEDIATE COMMAND, within LESS THAN A MINUTE OF THE DEMAND!! If the right circumstances were in play, it could happen in LESS than 10 SECONDS after to demand was made!! Now, it took time to learn this skill, and not everyone is capable of doing it, no matter how long they attempt training to do it. BUT, it IS possible for some, and I would NOT have believed her if I had not witnessed a display, PERSONALLY!!!

As for the other supposed flaws in the main and background persons in this story, SERIOUSLY?! is it so DIFFICULT to imagine that these flawed characters could actually exist in any real life place in reality? After all of the odd, deranged, and previously believed to be nonexistent personalities that have been brought to life in the form of politicians, business men/women, celebrities, and even men of religious power and prestige, that have been shown to have very different sides to them, and very hidden aspects of their character which VERY FEW, if any, truly had knowledge of, is it REALLY THAT IMPOSSIBILY DIFFICULT to believe that THESE UNIQUE, AND AT TIMES UNBELIEVABLY PERFECT, PEOPLE could EVER exist in ANY REALITY, WHATSOEVER, and could ONLY EXIST AS SOME WEIRDLY SUCCESSFUL (YET so unique, they could NEVER be a real person) AND EXTREMELY DEPRAVED character is some fictional novel?! Seriously folks? Given the facts in life that have turned out to truly be "stranger than fiction," I must say that I am disappointed in the reader of this, or any other seemingly "impossible to ever in exist in any realistic place and/or time" character or even setting in ANY fictional novel or storyline, for being so small-minded and extremely limited in imagination and/or intellectual flexibility so as to accept that while we might WANT everything & everyone to be neat, tidy, easy to understand, and of good "moral fiber," like we feel WE are (most of maybe), VERY FEW, IF ANY, OF US EVER FIT THOSE UNREALISTIC & FANTASY-BASED IDEALS, EVER!!!

So, in closing, I strongly urge anyone passing unfair, and/or downright mean/cruel, judgement on this novel, its characters, the storyline, the author, or any other connected aspect, to take some extra time out of your "busy" lives and learn the FACTS in psychology, medicine, and alternative lifestyles of ANY kind. Once you know the WHOLE story and the supporting FACTS, THEN come back and reexamine this book along with any others you may have misjudged far too quickly in the past. Once you know more, you will most likely find that your negative perceptions of any reality-based potential characters, settings, events, etc., are probably incorrect and quite possibly INAPPROPRIATELY HARSH AND/OR MEAN!! As a society, we have ALL been guilty of taking the "shortcut" and not looking more deeply into something we are not realistically familiar with, personally. In doing so, we do ourselves an injustice, as well as society and the author or presenter of the original story, plot, and related characters/participants. Once you know the REAL story, and not just what the media, your church, or any other major influences over what you think, feel, and how you react to ANYTHING in your daily lives, you are now armed with the proper knowledge to have a better understanding of what you were initially introduced to. In being armed this way, YOU now can make up YOUR mind with better support to your deductions and overall perceptions. THAT is what I strive to do, at every possible opportunity, so I do NOT improperly but intentionally make a bad decision and/or judgment based on limited or potentially FALSE and/or MISLEADING information I received from past "reliable" sources in my life. I'm not perfect, so I don't always achieve what I strive to do, but at least I am trying to learn from my errors and personal character flaws. If you can say the same, BRAVO!! If not, go back and start this novel trilogy over again, once you have taken the time to learn as much TRUTH as you can about whatever topic, etc., that you originally judged as implausible or too "perfect" to ever be real!! As I alluded to earlier, "Fact is sometimes stranger than fiction!" Remember this and it will help you keep an open mind until you have received as much information as you can, from more than one or two sources you've checked in the past, which will allow you to see not just what other believe you SHOULD see and feel, but what YOU know, see, and now feel is a more proper perception of ANY topic!!

As for my opinion on this first of three books, I enjoyed them immensely, and especially appreciated the way E.L. James ended the first novel on such a cliffhanger type situation!! I won't spoil it for those who have not yet read it, but it set the stage perfectly for the second book to pick up from and RUN WITH!!

No, her writing would most likely not please a high school English/Writing teacher in that she is not always terribly creative as she might have been and may need a little assistance with certain syntax, etc. Overall, though, I found it to be a story that could happen at any given moment across the globe, but most likely in the USA, and the characters were, to me, believable, imperfect despite an expression of "alleged perfection," and a story I STILL enjoy reading again now and again, even though I could almost recite the story line by heart by now!! Step outside of the "normal, average, and at times, BORING" routine we expect from the average American every day. Only then can you truly follow and enjoy the nature and spirit of this incredible adventure surrounding Christian & Anastasia "Ana" and their path through life, separately and together!!

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Sharper

Sharper

5

Gotta have more Christian Grey!

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2012

Verified Purchase

originally posted on GoodReads.com:

I had to think pretty hard before giving this review. It baffles me to see a book with such high ratings get so many conflicting reviews here on GoodReads. Maybe some of those that gave it a high rating were too scared to give their reasons why. I was thrilled to give my five stars, but as I read through some of the reviews, I kind of got embarrassed. I also saw the same disgust on the discussion board for this book. Was I not supposed to like this? Does it make me look like a freaky nympho? But then I thought about E.L. James and how she must have worried what will people think of her at some point. She had some serious guts to write this book. So courageous to share her vision of this story with the world. So here I am, gladly giving this book 5 stars and I will also be courageous in giving my reasons why. If you found the book horrendous, then judge away. I do not mind.

Let me start with...There are some spoilers. I'm not super direct with them, but if you are sensitive to spoilers, please proceed with caution. I don't spill what happens in the end. And If you have read some spoilers, don't worry, it's still very worth it, get the book. The sex scenes sell!

I couldn't relate to Ana much at all, but found myself jealous of her. What really kept the pages turning for me was Christian. What a crazy awesome character! The mystery behind him had me intrigued - where he came from, his early life, how he came to be who he is, why he does what he does. Christian had a really hard early childhood and it really has messed with his head and has ruined his chance at having a relationship in what society sees as normal. I've seen it asked several times by the folks who haven't read this book, yes, there is a lot of sexual BDSM in great detail. It's all Christian knows and it fulfills his need. It seems like a lot of people that were put off, don't really understand the lifestyle. Although I haven't been in this type of relationship before, I can understand most of it, especially all that Christian is into. He's a powerful man in many ways and many women love powerful men. He's ridiculously rich and is used to having anything and anyone he wants. He gets it with a snap of his fingers. What he wants is Ana, and she defys him. She plays games and it drives him crazy. He can't easily have what he wants all of the time. That makes the desire greater....so much so that he tries so hard to change for her to keep her. All of a sudden, there is a shift in power. Even though she doesn't realize it, she makes the rules and he bends over backwards to make sure she's happy.

I'm so disappointed to see readers hate Christian like he's a villain. I thought he was more than fair. First, he tells her he is no good for her in hopes she will run away. She does not leave. After that, he tells her straight up front that he is a dominate man and explains that to her. She does not leave. He shows her the playroom. She does not leave. He gives her the contract to read. She does not leave. He tells her to take a week to read over it. She does not leave. He tells her she can negotiate the majority of the contract. She does not leave. Then he says the contract is not even legally binding and she can leave whenever she wants. She does not leave. He changes so much for her and tries so hard at giving her "more," which is what she wants. She knows he has a past that makes him the way he is and he works hard dealing with it. So......why is he the villain to readers? She kept going for it. She asked for it. So he likes to tie her up, spank her and have his way with her. He never tortured her or peed on her or anything like that. In fact he told her he'd never really hurt her, never break or damage the skin. She had safe words to yell at any time. Did she use the safe words? No. So I guess I can't really wrap my head around him being a bad guy. He worked so hard to earn her trust. He asked her if she trusted him every single time before he would tie her. She said yes every time.

Honestly, it's been a couple days since I finished this book, and even though I've started a different book (I'll read the 2nd book of the trilogy next week), I still can't get Christian out of my head. This book was super hot and his commands to her are like Whoa! Biting her bottom lip really got some delicious sayings out of him. I was turning pages so fast, wondering what he was going to do to her next. There is sex on almost every page, and it can be easy to focus just on that, but I do realize there is a bigger story here. The shift in power between both of them was awesome to witness, watching a powerful man crumble to her feet in order to keep her. He'd do anything to make her happy. It's hard to see through his dominating ways, but he's smitten, for sure! Totally unexpected.

Now on to what I didn't like....Ana. Ugh, she was annoying to me. As I talked about above, she never left after all the things he warned her about in the first place. She was a stupid girl if she didn't want this. When he was there, she was in love, but if he left for work, she would cry her eyes out and hate him. He's a CEO of a huge company...I'm sure he has to work once in a while. Her inner dialogue was ridiculous. The questions she asked herself. For example, Christian could tell her he absolutely adores her, kisses her passionately and has to leave for the day. Five minutes later, she's sure he does not like her one bit. This goes back and forth the entire book. She also did some childish things along the way. And what she did the morning at the end of the book more than pissed me off. Stupid girl! She acts like she's a young teen! She asked for it. Hello safe words!!!

But you know, Christian more than made up for all the parts that Ana pissed me off about, so the book definitely got 5 stars for me. I look forward to 2nd and 3rd books, and what else E.L. James has in the future. No, I didn't mind the repeated phrases that many people complained about.

How do I differ from Ana? Call me demented, sick, twisted or whatever you want, I would have already been digging in my purse for a pen before reading the contract and sprint for the playroom. Christian can do with me what he wants...whew! Once again, I'm frustrated that a fictional man is not really real. Is it hot in here?

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Tara

Tara

5

Love it or Hate it, Some of us Love The Fifty Shades Trilogy...

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2012

Verified Purchase

I know there are a lot of people (men & women both) that do not understand why on earth anyone would say the loved these books. I've read a lot of comments where people wonder what kind of person loves these books, or read them in one weekend as if they were just one long book. Well, I am that girl.

I didn't know a whole lot about these books before I read them. A friend of mine from college had read them and based on other books we had read in common and both liked, I thought, why not? After I downloaded them, and before I started reading Fifty Shades of Grey they started talking about the novels on the radio. I heard these books referred to as "mommy-porn" but didn't really think about what it entailed. I mean, there are some steamy scenes on TV I would say could be called the same thing.

I will mention it took me a few chapters to get into the book. There are some phrases that threw me off a bit, and the fact that the writer uses words or phrases quite frequently was a bit annoying at times and it was distracting. I kept thinking, didn't she have an editor? Why wouldn't they persuade her to change some of this? But the further I got into the story, the less I cared about it (not to say I didn't still see these things, I just didn't care anymore).

People are complaining that there is no way the character could be a 21 year old college girl who hasn't had sex. I guess that's not saying a whole lot about our culture, that we expect every young woman in college is out there giving it up on a regular basis. For me, this was not an issue as I myself was a 21 year old virgin. In fact I was a 27 year old virgin and had many of those uncomfortable conversations with many different guys that I dated over the years. Some thought it was awesome (for some of the same reasons Christian did) and some couldn't imagine it and bolted. Maybe this helped me identify with her character better than other people can, but be assured this does happen. Something should be said for the girl who waits until she meets the right guy. I did, and now he's my husband.

People are complaining that Christian is too young to be this successful (hello, Mark Zuckerberg) and that even if he was there is no way he falls for a girl like Ana. I guess my answer is two-fold, and simple. We see couples all the time where we think in our heads, "I wonder how they got together." Love is love why put limits on what kind of person someone else can fall in love with. The second part of my answer would be to remind people, this is a work of fiction. Of course it's not real! Christian Grey and Ana Steele do not actually exist. People don't want to watch movies that are based on real life, that's why we go see Romantic Comedies. This is no different. Enjoy it for what it is! Why can't Cinderella fall in love with Prince Charming?

As for the characters, I could absolutely find things to identify with both of the main characters. Anyone who is part of a relationship knows that everyone comes with some sort of "baggage." Sure Christian's baggage is more than the average person but isn't the message really that everyone deserves to love and be loved regardless of what they bring with them to the table? I wanted to see this couple work things out and be together and I felt myself (or my inner cheerleader) rooting for them to make it. (Incidentally, I know these characters are supposed to be based of Edward and Bella, but through most of Twilight I wanted to slap Bella around, I found her annoying, this was not the case for me with Ana and I enjoyed Christian much more than Edward).

It's the unfolding of their love and watching as the "baggage" becomes irrelevant that kept me wanting more. Yes there is drama, and yes there is fighting and making up to the unrealistic degree but again, this is the same thing women go to the movies to see. Unrealistic romantic gestures and happily ever afters. It gives people hope that their happily ever after is out there or makes them realize it's really right in front of their face. Let's remember a business tycoon fell in love with a hooker in one of everyone's favorite movies. Why can't we have that in this book? Vampires don't really exist and yet they are raking in the big bucks with those books and movies, right?

Yes, they have sex...a lot...and well...it's not always "vanilla" but think about when you and your first love started having sex. There was probably more then than there is now, right? And while it's not for everyone and I did have trouble understanding at first why anyone would consent to some of these things my husband reminded me that just because it's not my normal, doesn't mean it isn't someone else's and we shouldn't really judge what makes other people happy. Again, I didn't know what this book entailed when I started reading it and if I had known it was sometimes classified as Erotica, I probably wouldn't have read it - but then I would have been the one who lost out because I really enjoyed this story. I haven't felt this way about a couple since Noah & Allie.

Mostly, I just think it comes down to you like it or you don't, and while I am one of those people who obviously liked it (I'm almost done reading it a second time and my husband now refers to this series as my "drug of choice"), I accept that not everyone will. So for those that don't, I think just accepting that some people do is just as important, and maybe people will just have to agree to disagree and just not understand why. I mean I love Football and Baseball and even NASCAR, but you couldn't get me to watch Golf for all the tea in china.

Anyway, this is just one girls opinion, I suggest read it and see for yourself.

On a side note, the idea of the movie scares me and I don't think they'll find a Christian that will make everyone happy, but that's just my opinion...like everything else here!

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