Fifty Shades of Grey presented us with the beginning of a story
of a controlling man, both sexually and otherwise, and the girl who falls in
love with him. We get to go inside
their bedroom and while some women were shocked (like the lady who was chatting
about this book with her hairdresser while I got my hair cut close by, claiming
that it was absolute trash and filth), others were gloriously happy, as they
were finally able to reach inside and admit that they enjoyed a healthy sex life with their husbands (like the women that were on the Today Show happily admitting that they
hadn’t had such great sex with their husbands in a long time) and that they even might want to try some more adventurous activities inside their bedrooms.
But, once all of those amazing discoveries were made, we close Fifty Shades of Grey and are presented with Fifty Shades Darker and things take a sudden change. No longer are women talking about Fifty Shades. The fun and games of the first book takes a much darker turn, yet we keep reading because we can't stop. We have to know how it all turns out. I found myself reading Fifty Shades Darker at a fast pace because of this, but not always liking what I read. The story is a disturbing one, well--Christian's story is a disturbing one, and it isn't always easy to read. I found myself being amazed with Ana, her strength and her love for Christian was amazing. Her strength was often challenged and she often questioned her love for him. I also found myself thinking that I just wouldn't be able to do it. I could never love a man like Christian. And then, the next thing I knew, Christian started changing and I started to rethink my views about Christian. And then I started wondering--can a women really change a man? Or, better yet...can love really change a person?
Let us turn now to book three: Fifty Shades Freed. I wondered from the beginning if this title meant that Ana was freed from Christian or if Christian was freed from his past. I won't ruin anything by telling you what I think now. But, what I will say is this. EL James saved the best for last. Without a doubt, I liked Fifty Shades Freed the best of the three books. I was not overwhelmed with sexual details as I was in book 1, and I wasn't scared to death like I was in book 2. Instead, I was able to finally read a story that was filled with love, packed with action, and that made me smile when the finished the last page. The book does take you on an emotional roller coaster, but it's so worth it in the end. And, yes, I think love can change a man.
When I blogged about Fifty Shades of Grey, I mentioned that EL James led me to believe in her interview on The Today Show that her book was just a story, and pretty much a story about sex. Well, that was a gross misinterpretation on my part and five seconds into book 2 you will see that sex is just how Christian deals with things (a loosely quoted line from Ana in book 3). Sex is the cover-up for the real story. In fact, in book 3, EL James often glosses over the more intimate scenes and instead elaborates on the conversations between Christian and Ana, giving us insight into their emotions and feeling towards each other and their families. You are going to have to read the series to discover what the sex is covering up--I am not about to ruin that for any reader. But, it's worth the read, I promise. It really is a great story about love, romance, and the importance of family. When you hear people whispering about Fifty Shades, you can just roll your eyes at them because you know better. This isn't a book about sex at all. It's a book about how love, real, true, deep love, can soften the hardest heart and can lighten the blackest soul. Anyone who thinks these books are about sex just doesn't get them.
Happy Reading! I am off to begin Nora Roberts' second book in the Inn Boonsboro series. I can't wait to get re-acquainted with a ghost and a very hunky architect!
:) Dodie
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