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

More than 150 million copies sold worldwide.

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.

This audiobook is intended for mature audiences.

Look for E L James’ passionate new love story, The Mister, coming April 16, 2019.

©2011 E L James (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

• Finalist, GoodReads Choice Awards, Best Romance

This was one of the worst books ever written

What disappointed you about Fifty Shades of Grey?

The reader sounded like a middle schooler and the story was beyond boring.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Certainly something more resembling literature.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Becca Battoe?

Anybody

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

annoyance

Any additional comments?

None necessary

Boooo!

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

No I will never read another book by this author or read by this narrator.

What was most disappointing about E. L. James’s story?

The story was written with a repetitive nature that caused a constant bore in listening. The primary character is a college graduate but the book was either not written or not edited by one. The premise of the story is pathetic. I cannot believe that this book is a best seller!

Waste of a Credit

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

A better reader probably would have helped dramatically... as it is, the story felt weak and I couldn't stand the reader and the combination of those two factors made it impossible for me to continue listening past chapter 9.

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

Absolutely not. Ever. She sounds like a shallow teenager.

I hoped zombies would suddenly appear

What disappointed you about Fifty Shades of Grey?

Even zombies don't deserve this- poorly written

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

No because this is not representative of this genre. In fact it's not representative of a book

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

When she attempted a British accent I wanted to stab a fork in my ear

What character would you cut from Fifty Shades of Grey?

The author

Any additional comments?

This is horribly written, there is no good way to put lipstick on this pig. The writer of this mess should be ashamed, poorly researched unimaginative and juvenile. The only thing abused in this book was the English language.

Best seller? I wasted my money

What disappointed you about Fifty Shades of Grey?

I had doubts about this since it is fan fiction for a series I couldn't take seriously. However, the topic had a more adult feel and I was coerced into reading.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Becca Battoe?

No.

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

It was uninteresting, juvenile and horribly written.

Always Get a Second Opinion.

I'll have to admit first that my wife liked the book, but that's as far I'll go.
The story read as if it were written as from a 16 year old's diary. And quite a boring diary at that. No matter how much "whips & dips, chains & chips" one could throw into this, more tepid than torrid, story, if you care little for the characters then the situation becomes completely pointless.
I can't see how this novel has became such a literary tour de force, while just in the "reading" of this novel requires a literal "Tour de force" of the Reader!
"Pedantic!", would be the best word I would use to describe this book. "Awful" the other.
But if the subject matter is of such interest, as it seems to be going by various TV media outlets, then may I suggest Jean-Jacques Pauvert's "The Story of "O", and Anne Rice's (under the nom de plume A.N. Roquelaure) "The Claiming Of Sleeping Beauty." to wet the appetite, and perhaps stimulate the desire whilst kindling the slowly dying ambers of romance in a couple's relationship. I wish those on that path the best in their endeavors.
Now as to "narration" ... Dreadful. The reading of a phone book would have been more enjoyable. I won't blame Becca Battoe for that. Any performance artist is only as good as the material provided. To blame the messenger for bad news is unfair.
Clearly, this production could have been better suited with an addition of at least a second artist providing a voice of the male characters. Since it didn't it, this gives testimony to the uncaring cheapness of the production, and insults both the author and the reader alike.
And that is the real crime to purchase.

What a horrible book!

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

I have no idea.

Would you ever listen to anything by E. L. James again?

No - the book is written in an immature, basic manner. I purchased this book because of all the hub-bub but did not know the content - won't make that mistake again. Talking about the dumbing down of America.

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

N O - she sounds like an immature Valley Girl.

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

I didn't and won't finish the book. Hopefully it will help anyone getting into that life style as I can't see the merits.

holy cow, holy crap, holy s--t (all she says)

What disappointed you about Fifty Shades of Grey?

I paid for this. Reader was awful, but since there was no story it didn't matter.

What was most disappointing about E L James’s story?

Everything

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

Never.

What character would you cut from Fifty Shades of Grey?

All.

Any additional comments?

It should be banned!!!

Repetitive Dialog, Nearly unbearable at times

What would have made Fifty Shades of Grey better?

It was an interesting story idea, but the execution seemed amateur and lacked an interesting dialog.

Would you ever listen to anything by E L James again?

Not likely.

Which scene was your favorite?

There are a lot of sex scenes which was interesting, but the lack of variety in the dialog made even those hard to bear.

Bad writing and weak story

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

I've heard so much about this book that I had high expectations. Unfortunately, the book is FAR below my expectations. My main complaint is that the writing is so sophomoric that it is almost funny. But it is not supposed to funny, it is supposed to be sexy. The reader is the perfect complement to the writing, however. Either she is a teenager, or she has done a good job of sounding like one. The problem is that it is not interesting to hear teenager's weird fantasies - at least not when they are so poorly told. But, perhaps this is the best we can expect from people who think that Twitter is communication.

What do you think your next listen will be?

A Tale of Two Cities.

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

no

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

disappointment