Fifty Shades of Grey is the title of an erotic novel written in 2011 by the British author E. L. James, the pen name of Erika Leonard. The novel was self-published in e-book format and later printed only on demand. Suddenly, the same book got millions of downloads up to become a successful best seller around the world and translated in over 30 languages. Today, the book is also a much viewed movie and all this led me to wonder why an erotic novel, like many others, managed to be a planetary success. I wonder this because on the web and all around the world, there are many erotic novel writers who have been expecting to get success for many years.
Which is the difference between Fifty Shades of Grey and other erotic novels? First of all, we need to know the plot of this book. Fifty Shades of Grey tells the murky sexual relationship between the college graduate twenty-one year Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, the charming chief executive officer Grey Enterprises Holdings Inc. One day, Anastasia is invited by her friend, who writes for the college newspaper, to interview just Christian Grey.
Between the two, there is an immediate fatal attraction that in short turns into a sexual relationship. But Christian is a man with an awful past and with serious sexual problems that induce him to desire only sexual relationships with women available to be dominated and subjugated. To get all he wants, Christian persuades Anastasia to sign a contract listing the rules of submission the woman must accept not only while the two have sex but even during daily life.
These rules drag the woman in an obscure masochist relationship where she must perform sexual practices where the pain is the first way to feel pleasure. Up to here, Fifty Shades of Grey is not so different from other erotic novels. Sadomasochism is the main character of many erotic stories. And then: Why this book overcame other books? The question is always the same.
Moreover, Fifty Shades of Grey received many unfavorable reviews, according to them, the novel is very poor in terms of style of writing and content. To confirm these reviews, I decided to read some excerpts of the book. As a book reviewer and a book lover, I am capable to understand if I have in front of me a good or bad book. Reading some chapters, Fifty Shades of Grey doesn’t’ seem so poor in its language and in the text quality. Rather, the sexual relationship between Anastasia and Christian is described in every detail and this side could explain the success of the book. But this explanation is not sufficient yet.
During their love story, Christian reveals to Anastasia when he was a child his mother beat and overlooked him because she was always drunk. Christian, hence, has developed sexual problems because of the troubles of his mother. In this book, there is, therefore, a psychological and emotional turn that very surely has captured the unconscious of readers. Mine is only a hypothesis, the more probable one can be that readers love erotic stories much more than other fiction books and that, by speaking always about hypothesis, thanks to a powerful work of book promotion, Fifty Shades of Grey managed to arrive where none could arrive before.
There could be another reason that might explain the success of Fifty Shadows of Grey: the exoteric meaning of the number 50. According to numerology, 50 is the number of the power of the word and of the great achievements. According this science, this number would be capable to attract the energy from the Universe and lead to the success. This number is also matched with the following words: whip and belt, namely the tools often used in the erotic novels. Those who use this number attract a benevolent destiny and good fortune. I must confess you I don’t believe in numerology, but it was useful to find a reason that could explain the strange and the mysterious success of this book.
Rosalba Mancuso is the journalist, born in Sicily, who founded three online magazines in English. On Advicebooks Book Reviews, Rosalba shows her great passion for books, helping readers and book lovers choose and buy the best books she read and reviewed. She also worked as a contributor to print and online magazines and as a bilingual Italian-English writer. Here, Rosalba also offers room to authors and publishers who want to get their books reviewed through the voice of an avid reader like her. You must also know that this book review magazine lives thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you buy books through the affiliate links you find in her book reviews. This book review magazine is also funded by services of editorial reviews and book press releases.
I must say that you write very interesting articles.