Fifty Shades of Grey

Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy

By: E. L. James

Narrated by: Becca Battoe

Length: 19 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Please note: This audiobook contains graphic adult content.

The book everyone is talking about. When Ana Steele meets Christian Grey.... Romantic, liberating and totally addictive, Fifty Shades of Grey is a novel that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

When literature student Anastasia Steele interviews successful entrepreneur Christian Grey, she finds him very attractive and deeply intimidating. Convinced that their meeting went badly, she tries to put him out of her mind – until he turns up at the store where she works part-time, and invites her out.

Unworldly and innocent, Ana is shocked to find she wants this man. And, when he warns her to keep her distance, it only makes her want him more. But Grey is tormented by inner demons, and consumed by the need to control. As they embark on a passionate love affair, Ana discovers more about her own desires, as well as the dark secrets Grey keeps hidden away from public view.

©2012 E L James (P)2012 Random House Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"In a class by itself." ( Entertainment Weekly)

"The book that made women want sex again" ( Mail on Sunday)

"It’s the book everyone’s talking about, becoming a word of mouth hit, topping the bestseller lists, and the film rights have just been bought to bring it to the big screen… a good steamy read. 4 Stars." ( Heat)

"E L James's erotic novel, one of a trilogy, has become a phenomenon." ( Telegraph Online)

"E. L. James is the talk of the book world thanks to her Fifty Shades... trilogy." ( Daily Mail)

"It has become the topic of choice for water cooler chats, school run tête-a-têtes and whispered conversations over the garden fence... Erotic novel Fifty Shades Of Grey is conquering best-seller lists around the world." ( Herald Scotland Online)

"Fifty Shades of Grey…is now a mainstream publishing sensation." ( Guardian)

"It's the definition of a page-turner… Ultimately, James’s exploration of the dynamics of sexual power is both troubling and intriguing, and women will undoubtedly be discussing it for years to come." ( Telegraph.co.uk)

"Fifty Shades of Grey isn't your average bonkbuster. It could change our sex lives forever." ( Fabulous, Sun on Sunday)

"..it was a proper love story… If my review has at all persuaded you that Fifty Shades of Grey might be more than just a kinky book full of sex, then I urge you to pick up a copy and try it - I'm sure you won't be disappointed! 5 stars." ( ChickLitChloe.blogspot.co.uk)

"This is erotic fiction that firmly falls into the by women for women category. I’ll be buying copies for all my girlfriends this year... an intriguing read 5 stars." ( Bookbag)

frustratingly bad listening

Has Fifty Shades of Grey turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not necessarily books of this genre but definitely any books written by this author or narrated by Becca Battoe.

How could the performance have been better?

perhaps with a different narrator

Any additional comments?

I got sucked in by the hype of this book, I wish I hadn't bothered

Really bad book!!!

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A good book would have made all the world of difference. This was bad literature with a bad story.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something much better written

What didn’t you like about Becca Battoe’s performance?

It wasn't her, it was the book.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disgust.

Any additional comments?

Don't understand what everyone thinks is so great about this book, it was really bad.

Crap. Crap. Crap

What would have made Fifty Shades of Grey better?

There was no zero star option and I was forced to choose 1 star. There is no good bits in this book not even the sex. Yes. Not even the sex.

What could E L James have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Her style of writing is pubescent. I cannot believe that an adult woman wrote this book and one with 2 kids. She is obviously still stuck in puberty. The main character only knows 10 adjectives. The male lead is not believable and come on…. he is a billionaire with no signs of intelligence. Not only that, the narrator sounds like a teenager?!? Sigh. I can’t write for $#% and I acknowledge that. This author should also acknowledge that she can’t write for #$% and acknowledge that even sex can’t save this book. But unfortunately not everyone thinks like me. Obviously some women who do not read any other romance novels or do know what good sex is bought this book and gave it 5 stars. This book is crap. Do not waste your time or your money. If you wanted porn, just Google it or pick up a good erotic novelist.

How could the performance have been better?

Not the Narrator's fault. She was only doing her job and reading what was on paper... crap.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Fifty Shades of Grey?

the whole book would have been cut and not even published

Any additional comments?

The standards of literature is dropped alarmingly as this book made the NYT Best Selling list.

Definitely Overhyped

What disappointed you about Fifty Shades of Grey?

The books seems to be a mere laborious and detailed account of salacious activities, making it ironical sterile for an erotica!

How could the performance have been better?

The reading is really slow. With an almost non-existence plot, the listening was painful.

Badly written and very repetitive

What would have made Fifty Shades of Grey better?

Not worth the hype

What do you think your next listen will be?

Anything better then this

What didn’t you like about Becca Battoe’s performance?

Her character voices

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom

Any additional comments?

Will not be listening to the next in the series

its a porn!

it's a simple porn! there's nothing in it. no underlying message or storyline to justify the pure vulgar porn stuff through out! extremely disappointing.

Bad beyond belief

What disappointed you about Fifty Shades of Grey?

What is all the hype about

Has Fifty Shades of Grey turned you off from other books in this genre?

Possibly

Would you be willing to try another one of Becca Battoe’s performances?

Probably not

What character would you cut from Fifty Shades of Grey?

What characters they were all pathetic and not believable

Terrible narration

How did the narrator detract from the book?

I have never heard and Audiobook narrator this bad. Do not listen to the Audiobook if you have never read these books before. She reads very slow so you loose the banter and flow between the characters because you are just waiting for her to get to it. She is also terrible at accents. In the first book she sounds like a teenager trying to put on a mans voice (all over exaggerated deep voice that she struggls to use constantly) it was very distracting and unrealistic. Also any new character automatically has a southern drawl (annoying and inconstant given that the book is set in Washington State!) and then when she try's to do a foreign accent I don't know what she was trying to do but she mangles it badly. I could not recognises any of the accents she was trying to do (and they were only French, Scottish and Russian, pretty standard accents).

If you have read the books before, as I had, you can go with the flow to some extent but absolutely do not get these if you haven't already read the story, it will put you right off the books before the end of the first chapter. In any event you will find yourself banging you head against the wall at how she mangles simple things.

Poor narrating

Would you try another book from E. L. James and/or Becca Battoe?

No

Has Fifty Shades of Grey turned you off from other books in this genre?

It wasn't so much the story as the narrator. I couldn't stand listening to that voice repeatedly exclaiming, "oh Christian!" I didn't get past chapter 5 and regret purchasing the trilogy all at once.

How could the performance have been better?

Change the narrator

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I didn't find any

Their are better things to spend your time doing..

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Ladies looking to loose themself in a different life style fantasy and get cheep thrills.

What could E. L. James have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

write it better

What three words best describe Becca Battoe’s performance?

Good
Good
Good

What character would you cut from Fifty Shades of Grey?

Mr Grey