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

Oh my....

Loved it...didn't care for narration much. I would have preferred 2 voices. I read the books multiple times! What a thrill!! I won't watch the movie because I don't want to be disappointed.

Glad I watched the movie

The narrator….I’m just glad the book is done. I won’t be purchasing any more

Glad I saw the movie first

There should have been a male actor reading Christian‘s parts. I found her narration to be very robotic and monotone – almost like AI. And it was even worse when she was speaking Christian‘s parts. Hearing her narration did not make 
The story come alive for me. 

Love the story, the narrator is lacking.

The narrator seems robotic and sharp in her reading. It really does ruin the experience of the story.

Christian & Anastasia

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. Fifty Shades Trilogy, book 1. Single POV (Anastasia's). Audiobook review: It's listed as 19 hours 48 minutes; I listened at speed 2.50 for 7 hours 55 minutes. Narrator Becca Battoe didn't fit the heroine for me, and her reading pace is halting and slow. Her accent changes frequently to a Texas or Southern accent that doesn't fit Anastasia's background. Star rating breakdown: 4 star story, 3 star narration. Paperback and ebook review: multiple typos. Content warnings: adoption; ch¡ld abuse; and BDSM (sp@nking with hand and belt; and the use of a riding crop, a flogger, and a blindfold).

I love this story but listening to it really highlighted: how nuts the "internal goddess" storyline is, just how many repetitive words and phrases there are in this story (especially: medulla oblongata and clamber), and that I will never understand why authors don't just write stories about characters from and living in their own region. JP

3 out of 5 on my spice scale.

1st listen 12-28-20
2nd listen 01-05-24

I own the audiobook, and the trilogy boxed set both as an ebook and paperbacks.

Love the funny, and serious parts!

Love each and every book!! Have read the numerous times! My least favorite was 50 Shades Freed.

meh

the movie is better. the weird inner goddess thing is just odd. I don't know excatly what I was expecting, maybe I've read to much smut but this was just meh

The best book I've ever read!!!!

What made the experience of listening to Fifty Shades of Grey the most enjoyable?

I felt every emotion Anna felt. I was in the moment with every word!!

What did you like best about this story?

Not everyone gets involved with a sexual situation like Anna's but so much of the story reminded me of the controlling relationships I have been in. I was angry with the amount of control Christian wanted but as I listened to the underlying meaning of the contract he wanted for her I understood it more.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried, laughed and got very mad. It was an emotional experience for me.

I want Ana back ! New Narration is HORRIBLE !!!

Despite the bad reviews on the original narration , I bought 50 shades of Grey and LOVED Becca's narration . Her voice perfectly fit Ana's 21 yr old innocent personality . I finished 50 shades of Grey and just started 50 shades darker with her "new" narration and it is horrible ! She now sounds nothing like the character !! I feel that those who wrote the bad reviews must have only listened to a small clip and then made their opinion without getting to know Ana's character .

PLEASE bring the original narration back !!! I don't even feel like this is the same character at all and it doesn't fit Ana one bit :(

Fifty Shades of Grey

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

I must admit I listen to all of the book but when she decided to leave I was relieved. I was so afraid she would stay-so many women do and they think this person will change. Yes,I would try another book - this book or books were well written but when you have personally worked with women this has happen to for years - you want to shake them and say this behavior rarely changes. It leaves them shaddered thinking that somehow it is still their fault. There is a thin line between love and hate and when hateful things are done by lover it makes the line even thinner.

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

This book was very well written about a subject matter that is hard to write about without showing the person as a disturbed individual as he is in this area.

What didn???t you like about Becca Battoe???s performance?

Of course you wanted her to be more physically agressive to him but this was not the story.

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

none

Any additional comments?

A good book - well written - somewhere there could have been some mention of him seeking help and also help for her.