Though I have read 50 many, many, times this was my first time listening to the audio book. I enjoyed hearing it more so than reading it at times. I felt that it helped to dampen some of the annoying-ness of Ana’s inner Goddess to have it actually expressed by a person rather than having to read it on the page and let my imagination figure out how she thought it or said it. It was difficult to adjust to the narrators Christian at first, I felt she voiced him to sound a little like Christian Bale’s Batman… you know that forced gravely what the hell is caught in your throat sound? Yeah, but any who after listening for a few hours I moved past that. This audio book is upwards of 19 hours so if you purchase it be prepared for some long listening sessions.
What I love about reading this story over and over again is that I always see something I missed the first time or think more about a part that I may have skimmed by previously. I find it interesting that most of the critics of 50 note the horrible writing, how there is no story, it’s just about some abusive asshole beating the shit out of a poor innocent impressionable woman… and so on… you’ve heard it before you may even think some of those views yourself. Upon listening to it this time through I really paid attention to how vehement Ana was regarding Christian’s secret relationship and how she spells out and makes him aware of the differences between abuse and consensual acts that involve pain. He doesn’t fully get the message in this book but later on the series he does… I obviously don’t want to offer any spoilers for the one person who has been under a rock and has not read this yet, but I also found how vocal Ana was about what she wanted and how vocal Christian was about the type of woman that Ana is are totally contrary to some of those criticisms that I mentioned earlier. The themes regarding conservation, Darfur, hunger, child abuse, and even how it touches on great loss and the honor in serving in the military are all aspects that everyone fails to mention when they are focusing on the BDSM and poor, poor, naive Ana. While there is definitely a great deal of sex in this book primarily most of the scenes are not far off from what goes on in “normal” bedrooms around the world. There were maybe two scenes that were BDSM heavy and as for the rest it was mostly missionary with a twist, bath, shower, from behind, and other common sexual situations.
I’m not here to make anyone LOVE or LIKE this book. It makes me no difference I will happily be sitting in the theater to watch this one and I am fairly certain that I will be reading and listening to this again… I haven’t even cracked open my new paper backs of the trilogy yet! 🙂
So I again give Fifty 5 Coffee Beans because while it is not the deepest piece of literature, most well written, or best story I have ever read… it is satisfying, exciting, frustrating and heart warming and in my eyes that’s the definition of a good read.
Click HERE to purchase your copy on Audible today…
If you have yet to meet Fifty, now is the perfect time… while it lasts get Fifty Shades of Grey on SALE for $2.99… Click HERE!
If you are as excited as I am to see the movie, you may want to check out this excellent compilation of trailers and scenes, click on the image below…
While we are at it, the soundtrack is quite impressive if you haven’t heard it yet… click the image below…
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