Fifty Shades of Gossip

When I first started hearing all the hype about Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, I'll admit I was intrigued.  I braced myself for the literary challenge.  I had heard that it had all sorts of S&M and that it put most "Smut" novels to shame.  I had never read a novel like that before, so decided before I embarked on the journey of Fifty Shades, I would read several erotic books so I knew what I was dealing with.  Once I felt adequately prepared for the cheesy plot-lines and predictable sexual escapades, I bought the first novel of the Fifty Shades of Grey series.
Note: This review is based on the literary aspects of the novel, not the content, or the S&M nature of the novel.

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James spins an intriguing story.  From my background research I learned that this was originally a fan-fiction story based offof the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.  I kept this in mind while I was reading and honestly, if I hadn't known about it previously, I probably would not have picked up on the allusion towards Twilight.  There is one character named the same as a character in Twilight and the characters' backgrounds are similar to the characters in Meyer's novel, but James' plot line is pretty distinguishable from the Twilight elements.  Those who did not enjoy Meyer's novel, may enjoy James' and vice versa.

The main character of the novel, Ana, was very loquacious.  She graduated with an English degree recently and enjoys reading classical literature, which explained her advanced language.  I have an English degree as well and found her linguistics easy to understand, only having to look up a few words. (I am still trying to learn what a hoplophobe is).  However, I could understand a reader possibly getting caught up in those parts.  There are several parts where Ana references parts of classical novels or uses remarkably mature language for her age (21) in the novel, that someone who has not read those novels may miss out on the allusion.  I admire James for adding these allusions however, because it appeals to my literary researcher side, and I look forward to delving in head first to interpret her allusions' bigger purpose someday.

Most people, it can be said, won't pick up this book for the story.  They will, unfortunately, be drawn to it's racy stigmata.  However, I do recommend for readers who enjoy a slightly twisted love story, to pick it up for the actual story.  The sexual nature of the book is only in the forefront on occasion.  Quite frankly, I found it tamer than I expected.

On a literary level, this book will by no means be considered a classic.  It is a new story that hasn't been told before (removing the Twilight likenesses), I will admit that.  There are allusions and other literary techniques that convince me that James is not some amateur writer; she knows what she's doing.  However, because of its reputation already, I think that James will never be able to be taken seriously, regardless of what she writes.  It is unfortunate too, because had she published a different series before this one, she may have become one of the lucky authors to make my favorites list.

Don't listen to the hearsay about this book, my fellow readers.  Give it the chance it deserves and appreciate what it has to offer.  Read all three books, from the beginning to the end, take a deep breath, and then put the books away and read something better.