Fifty Shades of Grey (E. L. James)

Let me begin by saying that this is not my kind of book.  In fact, I had zero interest in reading it, given the nonstop press attention the book has received.  Then I realized that made me a cowardly blogger.  I'm a lot of things, but I'm definitely not a coward, especially where a controversial book is concerned.  So here goes . . .

I downloaded this onto my Kindle, took a deep breath, and plodded onward and upward.  I have to admit that I skipped a lot of passages along the way. 

Christian Grey is a very powerful and controlling man with a host of issues stemming from his early childhood forward.  Anastasia Steele, on the other hand, is a completely inexperienced and naive college graduate.  The two worlds collide when Anastasia interviews Mr. Powerhouse on behalf of her ill friend.  She is completely out of her element, and utterly intimidated by this powerhouse mogul.  Grey, on the other hand, is fascinated with this young woman and consciously pursues her.

Grey is essentially a sexual sadist/dominator.  Steele is a virgin.  The antics I did read in the book are completely off the chart and, for the most part, unrealistic.  Grey was adopted as a young child by a loving and caring family and rescued from a brutal life, which forms the foundation for his overwhelming need for control and to master the universe, both in the boardroom and the bedroom.

There's enough press available on this series (oh, yes, three whole books!) that I won't delve further into the content.  What struck me was the repetitive, redundant, and exhausting (see a pattern here?) nature of the writing.  Certain phrases were used over and over and over again to the extent that I truly had to force myself to finish the book.  Anastasia Steele is clearly on a mission to "save" Mr. Grey from himself and to exorcise his demons by means of her love.

Okay, you guys know me.  This storyline made me want to gag (how's that for juvenile writing?).  I don't believe in fairy tales, and while a great book should transport you - and some of them can do so in the most unrealistic fashion - I just couldn't wrap my mind around this magical love story.  Ugh.  Give me a break!  Clearly, I'm in the minority, as there's huge public response to this novel.  All I can say about this one is that you have to read it for yourself.  Don't succumb to public opinion.  Maybe it's the book for you, maybe it's not.  I'll let you make that decision on your own.