Friday Reads: Fifty Shades of Grey

I’ve had a spell of reading popular fiction recently, which has previously prompted my reading The Da Vinci Code, The Lincoln Lawyer, Harry Potter and others. This round started with the Twilight books, then the Game of Thrones series (which took me a while). From there (with a ‘you must read this’ recommendation) I devoured the Hunger Games trilogy . . . and then moved on to the latest topping-the-charts, everyone-is-reading-it, what’s-all-that-about smash hit: Fifty Shades of Grey.

I picked it up based on the hype (‘amazing self-published internet sensation!’), with no real idea what it was about – the cover doesn’t give much away, I didn’t read the blurb (perils of downloading the ebook – I suspect had I picked up a physical copy I’d have put it down again pretty quickly), so I was half-expecting some kind of grey, slightly Swedish thriller.

So it’s no understatement to say that when I e-opened Fifty Shades of Grey it came as a bit of a surprise. Oh, so it’s that kind of book.

Followed swiftly by . . . and people are reading it perfectly openly on the train? Well, to be honest, I never expected to see that in repressed commuter England . . . I thought that’s what e-readers were developed for.

So I read the kinky chart-topping hit novel, and I can see what all the fuss is about. It’s not badly written, it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, and it’s about attractive people having sex. The world is glamorous, the characters are appealing but bland enough that the reader can step into their shoes (consenting adults only, and then only if you want to . . .), and there’s plenty of girl-meeting-beautiful-rich-boy-who-adores-her wish fulfilment of the rom-com/chick-lit variety. More importantly for the wild popularity of the novel, though, E. L. James has absolutely nailed (sorry) the key element: plenty of foreplay. The kink adds a bit of ‘Ooooh! How naughty!’ factor but it’s primary purpose (I suspect) is to let the novel get away with some very traditional* gender roles. Fifty Shades handles it rather well.

Do I recommend it? Well if this is the kind of read you’re after, or you’re curious, yes why not. It struck me as holiday reading, there’s a bit of humour to it, and it’s light and fun stuff. The characterisation is not the deepest, the plot is not the most sophisticated, but I don’t think those are aspects that readers are particularly looking for. I certainly didn’t feel the book was lesser for the lack of either, as it’s a novel that does what it says on the tin . . . or would, if said tin hadn’t made me think it was a slightly Swedish thriller.

If you’re one of the many who has read Fifty Shades and are looking for more, I’d suggest taking a look at Jacqueline Carey (especially the original Kushiel trilogy, for kink), Nalini Singh (either the Psy-Changeling series or the Guild Hunter novels) or Lynsay Sands’ novels.

Personally, I wouldn’t suggest reading any of them on the train . . . !

*and, of course, slightly suspect.