Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James

Well, it's complicated...




On one hand, you have a porno. Let me be clear, this book is extremely, graphically, bizarrely sexual.
On the other hand, you have an interesting, believable story that demonstrates how a sweet, naive girl can get sucked into the dark, dangerous, alluring world of S&M with the promise of saving the lost and tortured soul of the man she loves. So... Complicated.

I'm undecided as to whether or not I can recommend this book. Aside from the ethical/porno debate, I found myself skipping and skimming, trying to outread my boredom with repetitive sex scenes. How many times will the ill-fated lovers hitch their breaths with the sudden realization that they must consume one another yet again? I'm not sure why it was at the top of New York Time's book list. But yet, I did just stay up until 3am to finish it... It is worth noting that this story began as Vampire fan fiction.

So... Read it if it doesn't offend you. It may provide insight into a new, sexy, freaky culture... Or maybe open up a few interesting conversations. Because even though I've never experienced anything close to this, I do relate to the characters. I understand the desire to make a relationship work when you see the evidence stacked up in the cons column. And I empathize with characters who lose themselves and have to find their own way (much like real life relationships). Regardless, I don't think I'll start reading fan ficts.