Christian has some serious childhood issues
But we knew that already, right? The fourth novel of the bestselling erotica series of all time – wait, make that the bestselling ebook on Kindle full stop – opens with a dream sequence featuring three toy cars and Grey’s anatomy, I mean Mommy. It reads like a Ladybird book. Even Christian is confused when he wakes up. “What the hell was that about?” he asks himself, in a possible foreshadowing of reader reactions.
But he may have good reason to be messed up
No spoilers here. Suffice to say that Christian’s “crack whore” mother, as he referred to her in the earlier books, does have a dark past.
Christian can Facebook stalk with the best of us
Before he visits Anastasia Steele at the Portland hardware store where she works, he confesses to having run a “background check” to find out whether she’s attached. “I’m now behaving like a stalker,” he has the good grace to admit. But where does his mind jump when he discovers there’s no boyfriend? “Sexual orientation unknown – perhaps she’s gay.”
The billionaire does have a charitable conscience
While there’s always been a Chandler Bing vibe to Christian (does anyone actually know what he actually does in his job?), the fourth book continues to plug his charity work. There are no fewer than 11 mentions of “the Darfur project” in Grey. Believe us. We searched for them. Ebooks are handy like that.
Christian’s internal monologue is alliterative
In an attempt to beat down his growing fuzzy feelings for Anastasia, he wonders: “Maybe this will stop if I fetter, fuck and flog her ... and not necessarily in that order.” Who doesn’t like a good F word, eh?
He really, really hates the housemate
We know Ana’s mate Kate is none too keen on her friend’s fella, but in Grey we learn just how mutual that disdain really is. “Fuck you, Kavanagh” is the least of it. The words “persistent”, “tenacious” and “shrieking like a harpy” come up a LOT.
EL James has not given up on love (of cliches)
“Anastasia, I’ve told you. There’s something about you. I can’t leave you alone. I’m like a moth to a flame.” Despite some literary crossover in terms of sex-crazed male protagonists, we take it Martin Amis is probably not a James fan.
She had no choice about writing this novel. Or did she?
“This book is dedicated to those readers who asked … and asked … and asked … and asked for this,” writes the author in the acknowledgements of Grey. “You rocked my world.” Has James taken Anastasia’s submissive tendencies to heart? We live in an an age where it’s OK to say no, Erica.
