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

Totaly amazing! my new favorite series!

Would you listen to Fifty Shades of Grey again? Why?

This story will totaly take you in. I didn't really like the narrator but don't give up on her, she gets better as the story goes along. I normally listen to more fantacy romance, if thats your thing you won't be dissapointed by this. Anna is one amazing character.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fifty Shades of Grey?

OH, there is not just one! The entire store can not even begin to be described in one moment.

Which character – as performed by Becca Battoe – was your favorite?

Anna. She takes her from the meek girl to a strong woman. The change is very noticable and makes the character.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending. I cried big teers!

Any additional comments?

I was so cought up in this story that I didn't even sleep for 2 days! I had to know what happened. I know! That is totally rediculous.

Lighten Up!

This book has received so much negative hype it is difficult to understand why people continue to buy it and why it continues to top all of the Bestseller lists. It is trashy "fan fiction", based on the trashy Twilight Series. It is the work of an untalented author, freely borrowing from another equally untalented author's work. The writing is sophomoric with the same phrases used repetitively, making the dialog boring and stale. The characters are one-dimensional and unsympathetic. It has too much gratuitous sex that isn't sexy. It discusses sexual practices that many people consider deviant. And the "deviant's" that practice it complain that it doesn't accurately portray their kink. As far as the audiobook goes, the original narration was terrible and when the publisher juked with it, it just got worse. Or so every review I have read about these books tells me.

This is all basically true. And yet, I enjoyed this trilogy, think it has gotten a raw deal and recommend it heartily. It isn't Shakespeare. It isn't even Clive Cussler. But who cares.

Here is what this book, actually this trilogy, has going for it:

1. While he isn't fully formed, the male character, our hero if you consider this from a Romance genre perspective, is terribly flawed. He is not particularly likeable, and is bossy, immature, frightened, afraid to commit emotionally, unrealistically successful and even more unrealistically handsome ... and yet still sympathetic. The reason he is sympathetic is simple. He is human. How many men share at least a majority of these traits? Every man I have ever met. I have read lots of fiction and romance novels that have perfect heroes. They are so perfect I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams one of them ever falling for someone like me. I like my heroes as dysfunctional and banged up by life as I am. I figure I have a better shot at them.

If you read through the end of the trilogy, the Epilogue includes some of the same scenes from the books, but told from Christian's perspective. If you think I am wrong about my assessment of this character, listen to the Epilogue and think about how the entire trilogy would have differed if it had been told entirely from Christian's perspective. It would have been a much better book. Christian is a character that deserves more ink time. And is probably the main reason these books are worth reading.

2. The Anna character is less developed, far less interesting and far less real. At the same time, she is so silly she provides great comic relief.

3. There is so much wrong with the sex in the book that the author is able to make the "not ready for the New York Times Bestseller List" sexual practice many readers are uncomfortable with, somewhat anticlimactic and almost an after thought. So much so that people who never heard the label BDSM now talk about it over coffee and drop it in to casual conversations.

By the time the author introduces the sexual practices that people are railing about, the reader is so preoccupied with how Anna went from virgin to a "so hot for it so quickly sex kitten" in 15 pages, trying to calculate how many times a healthy twenty-something couple can do it in a single day and keep that level up for several days in a row without breaking something crucial, why Christian talks about sex like he is 12, and searching for the kinky bits everyone keeps talking about, that when the less vanilla sexual acts are finally introduced, they don't stand out. And everyone knows that the best way for something unacceptable to become acceptable to the mainstream isn't to hit people over the head with it, it is to introduce it subtly and repetitively to the point that people don't remember when it wasn't an acceptable activity.

4. It has some interesting secondary figures that add depth to the book. Particularly Anna's mom and her men, Christian's two exes that are heavily featured and his brother Elliot. I also liked the security team and the housekeeper. But not Anna's best friend or Christian's sister. They are equally annoying and should have been killed off early on. Or never born.

5. It may have started off as a fan-fiction tribute to the Twilight series, but the best thing the 50 Shades trilogy has going for it is that it isn't Twilight. Compared to the author of the Twilight books I was actually able to get through, the author of the Fifty Shades books is not only on par with Clive Cussler, she is Shakespeare's equal.

6. It covered most of the high-end options of almost every mode of transportation commonly used today. No Segways though.

7. The periodic series of emails between the two main characters were repetitive but witty. And I got lots of practice in telling military time.

These books are funny(intentionally and unintentionally), lightweight and not to be taken seriously. So snap out of it and enjoy!

All sorts of HOT!! Erotic.

If you could sum up Fifty Shades of Grey in three words, what would they be?

This is an whole new world of "Oh my." You will need a fan to read this book! And when you start be preparred to read for a long time. It does need a few pages to get started and then, well just hold on!!

Loved it!

If you could sum up Fifty Shades of Grey in three words, what would they be?

Sexy, sexy and sexy....

Who was your favorite character and why?

They are all equal.......... as in one is not good with out the other.

What does Becca Battoe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think she did okay....it started off kinda rough but she got into the book and became Anastasia. I have a hard time sitting and reading so I always listen to my books...I've heard worse!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yep

Original Narrator voice was better!

WTF?! Who complained about the first voice of a beautiful woman? She sounded innocent and sweet... and OH MY, in character! I know it's still her but now she sounds slow and the voice for Christian is just... BLAH!!! Can you offer both narrations, this is crazy to listen too. :( Very UNHAPPY.

What the H#LL did they do?

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely, it's a great escape.

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

Not having read the book, I had no preconceived notions of what Ana should sound like, I think that was a real advantage going into the original narration. I thought Becca did a great job with expressing the emotional range of a naive 21 year old. Now, having listed to a sample of Fifty Shades Darker.....WHAT DID THEY DO?! I'm dumbfound, it's not even the same character, I'm horribly disappointed.

WANTED: NEW EDITOR AND NARRATOR

The erotica, as advertised, is available in abundance and is well written. It is fitted into the story as part of the unfolding themes of the book. It is not crude nor excessive. The listener who looked forward to that part of the promised content should not be disappointed.

Other reviewers denounced the narration for the Southern drawl and extremely youthful voice for the type of content presented. I would describe the accent as a Texas Twang and the voice of a fourteen year old adolescent girl. It grates. To be fair, it does get a bit better in later chapters.

But, if you are listening to email messages being read back and forth for pages and pages, perhaps the adolescent girl is totally appropriate. The author’s dialogue and conversation skills are lacking. Trying to be cutesy via email exchanges between a multi-millionaire/billionaire and a college senior is not easy.

What is the plot, the story line? Not really sure. A physically abused little boy meets an emotionally abused little girl when he is in his late twenties and she is in her early twenties and they rescue each other? Surely there is more than that.

Stay tuned!! The next episode is on the market! ORDER IT TODAY!!!
(Our very own soap opera)

great

loved it! she reads very will. on to the next one. I could picture it in my mind as she read it

Grey - What a Lover

Would you listen to Fifty Shades of Grey again? Why?

Yes. I have already listen twice this was a nice story line. Different love story

Who was your favorite character and why?

Anna

Have you listened to any of Becca Battoe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

yes

Annoying reader, decent story

What did you love best about Fifty Shades of Grey?

I liked the story. Romance with an S & M twist.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fifty Shades of Grey?

The Red Room of Pain

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Annoying voice. Slow reader. I had to listen to the book at 2x speed to make it bearable.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not exactly but the book is addicting enough that you cant stop listening even though it seems predictable and at times you just want to slap the main characters.

Any additional comments?

I'm tempting to get the other two audio books but the narrator's voice/reading style drives me nuts.