But I have to tell you a story. I LOVED the 50 shades trilogy!! Like, seriously LOVED it. Those three books are the best books I have ever read. Hands down. I finished the trilogy a week ago and I still can't stop thinking about it. I can't even bring myself to start reading another book, because NOTHING will ever compare to Anna Steele and Christian Grey's fucked-up, heart-warming, love-hate relationship.
Granted, the whole Twilight fan fiction thing put me off at first. I haven't read Twilight or seen the movies but I know enough about the franchise to know I'm not interested. Vampires just aren't my thing to be honest.
But, as long as you can make it through the first half of 50 shades of grey (the first book in the trilogy), the similarities between the two really aren't that obvious! Reading the first book I have to admit I felt uncomfortable at times. Every now and then my brain would just start screaming 'TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT!" and the kinky sex scenes were confronting to say the least, but the book is addictive. Once you get past the first few chapters it is a really compelling read. I couldn't put it down, I just had to read more.
Now don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to admit that this was not a piece of literary genius. The writing leaves a lot to be desired and it can get somewhat repetitive at times. "His impressive length," "feeling him inside me," and "the full feeling" are just a few of the phrases I probably read 100 times too many but once you start getting into the story none of that really matters. You actually start to forget that you are reading. You just become so engrossed by Anna and Christian.
If you are going to read the 50 shades trilogy, be warned, you need to be prepared to read all three books, one after the other. The first book really doesn't have a conclusion as such. It's like the cliff hanger at the end of a season of your favourite TV show. Same goes for the second book.
Christians story and his struggle to be Anna's "more" are heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. What sets this trilogy apart from Twilight is that these are people. This story is real. Obviously the specifics are fictional but this could actually happen does actually happen. There are no vampires and werewolves, no mythical, supernatural creatures, just a real human story, about people who are trying to find a way to love each other in a world so full of hate and revenge.
BDSM exists. People do it. Sure Christian and Anna's life is a little exaggerated at times, but this is a story people! Anna is so relatable. In the first book I wanted to slap her for being so stupid, in the second I wanted to hug her and tell her it was all worth it and in the third I wanted to make love to Christian Grey and tell Anna to fuck off!
I was compelled by these books right up to the very last page. I just had to know more. I was so hungry for more. Always hungry. (get it?) I spent a lot of time over the last few weeks reading into the wee hours of the morning willing myself to put the I-pad down and go to sleep. Reminding myself I had classes to get to and work to do. But I just couldn't bring myself to put that book down. I wanted more. So much more. (you see what I did there?)
The ending is actually unexpected, in a really weird way. Not to give too much away if you actually haven't read the book yet. But the trilogy ends in the way you would expect any other, normal, boy meets girl romance novel to end. But it is not what you expect when reading 50 Shades. The story is far from traditional. The sex, the dark secrets, the attempted murder and kidnap, and all that freaking money, make it different. And all the way through I found myself dreading the end because I didn't think it could possibly end well, or how I wanted it to end. But the ending was truly perfect! Unbelievably perfect.
I'm glad E.L.James didn't change Christian too much. Even on the very last page, his demons are still evident. And I'm glad she changed Anna. It made it real. Relationships are about compromise and meeting each other half way, and that is what 50 shades is all about. Granted this case is rather extreme. Finding a middle ground between virgin and BDSM domineering "50 shades of fucked up" isn't exactly like compromising between 2 kids and 4, but the point was still made.
On a final note, 50 Shades is not just porn. It is a heart warming and romantic story about an unconventional couple who probably should't be together but they find a way because they love each other. It's protagonists are real. It's antagonists are real. It tells the story of a little boy who was broken as a child and the woman who convinces him that life is worth living and there is another way.
So, if you have ever loved a romance novel. If you have ever loved. If you have ever wondered where your prince charming is hiding. Go out, right now, buy the trilogy and find a quiet place to spend the next few weeks of your life. Forget what you've heard. Forget Twilight. Forget the hype about an erotic pornographic book and immerse yourselves in the world of Anna Steele and Christian Grey. I urge you, do it now!
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