My honest opinion is, ... It wasn't a great, wonderful, awesome book in my opinion. Harry potter, Hunger Games, and The Fault in Our Stars definitely passed it by leaps and bounds. That being said, ....it isn't as horrible as everyone in the BDSM community makes it out to be either. Let's start with the obvious..the abuse claims. Was Christian Grey abusive?...eh, debatable. He was a total douche, I will give you that but abusive?..I think that is taking a lot of responsibility off the main character, Anastasia. It's dismissive. Christian warned her what he was into, he warned her exactly what kind of relationship they would have. I mean he had that mess typed up and was expecting a notarized document with her signature. Home girl knew what was up and had the ability to end it if she wanted too at any time. I know what you're going to say...but sweetpea, he was a total stalker. Yes, yes he was..but there are these little things called restraining orders. She didn't even attempt to venture down that avenue at all. Sure it's inconvenient, but if she didn't want his advances, it would have at least come up in topic. Finally, six slaps with a belt makes her decide that he is a crazy fucked up sadistic asshole? Reeallly? For starters she totally asked for it, wanting to venture into his world. Geeze, I wonder what kind of insults she would have shouted at him had it have been a cane. No doubt, Christian Grey was a total stalkerish douche bag who was sure he could get what he wanted by throwing his money around. but abusive is a bit of a stretch.
The second aspect in the book that many people brought up is that he shouldn't be seeking vanilla who are out of the lifestyle if he is a sadist. What?.....lol It's not like he actively sought her out. So what your basically telling me is , if I meet a guy and have a mutual attraction to him, and there's a bunch of things that we have in common but he's a vanilla, ...I totally should not introduce him to my world or the kinky things that I like right? See how it's different when you put the sub in the same position? Oh by the way Dan's vanilla. =P You are going to be attracted to who you are attracted to regardless. You are going to want to show them your world even if it is "Fifty shades of fucked up." One of the problems I have heard with the book is that there is one set of rules for Ana, and not the same set of rules for Christian. Dear, submissive friends...does your Dom have the same rules as you?! Is this not the very definition of a submissive/dominant relationship?
One of the problems I did have with the book is that the story made Ana seem like she was seventeen and a petulant child. I had some trouble getting passed that. Though it is this very fact that gave the book some comical value, mostly with the titles she would give her emails. The other problem I have is that the book ended on an attempt of a cliff hanger. Seriously it ends right as they "break up" even though we all know...they're going to get back together. Finally there is several cliches of writing in the book, like turning the nerdy awkward girl into a total wanton sex deprived virgin whore :D I digress.
So does the book promote abuse? No, it promotes what the writer thinks is a problematic BDSM relationship (which is intentional.) Should it be a basis for the BDSM community? Absolutely not, as every one knows who is in the lifestyle BDSM promotes safe, sane, and consensual. Some of those acts were not consensual even though Ana didn't protest to them. A clear set of rules , guild lines, and consensual agreements need to be put in place before you ever put anyone over their knee, all in all though it was a decent read, definitely not warranting all the hate it has gotten, at the same time....I am also not so sure it is best seller material either.
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