GREY REVIEW and THE NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

~GREY Review-

With EL James new release of "Grey" readers get the opportunity to hear Christian's perspective from his point of view. In the original Fifty Shades Trilogy we were privy to Anastasia "Ana" Rose Steele Grey as the female protagonist's voice whose reflections were often a sounding board from her "Inner Goddess" as she maneuvered through the complexities of her first sexual encounter with a billionaire and a man trained in the Dominant/submissive culture who has been emotionally unavailable in his past as they develop deeper feelings for each other. 

Christian T. Grey's voice is one character's perspective readers have been itching to delve into since the excerpt was provided in the Trilogy. Now in "Grey" we are seeking to find his depth of character as the lead male protagonist, the Dominant voice who pursues the virginal Ana while he endeavors to command and leave his dark past and nightmares behind him in order to embrace a new love and a chance at Happily Ever After. 

As the author of the Echoes in Eternity (Book 1 in the Pella Series), I have been writing from the male protagonist’s perspective for over six years. You can see some pre-publishing chapters here and read more on Amazon.com:

Echoes in Eternity

I’ve always been a huge fan of EL James since she was writing her fan fiction “Master of the Universe”. I love the trilogy and adore Christian’s character which I had had studied in the last four years. As I read the book, I couldn't help but notice that Christian's voice and tone in "Grey" sometimes meshes from Ana's timbre. 

For example: “My scalp prickles.” (This is the voice of inner goddess/Ana, but Christian says it about 6 times throughout the book).

                                            

GREY states:

“ “How have you avoided sex? Tell me, please.” Because I don’t get it.

She’s in college— and from what I remember of college all the kids were fucking like rabbits.

All of them.

Except me.”

But that’s not true. For someone who was introduced to hardcore sex at the age of 15, he was having sex with Elena and often at her bidding. This statement should be describing Ana. She wasn’t having sex in college while her peers were.

The insecurities Anastasia has reflected in the original trilogy that she isn’t good enough for Christian or that she isn’t experienced, or that she may not meet Christian’s needs, switched voices and came through as Christian voice which constantly sees Ana as a flight risk because of his deficiencies.  

What the hell? “I don’t like to share, Miss Steele. Remember that.” I storm out of the room before I say anything else.

Is she hung up on him?

Was she just using me to break her in?

Clearly Ana wouldn’t use someone so advanced in sexual prowess to break her in for a man like Jose Rodriguez. This would be where Ana’s insecure word/pitch/voice/tone crossing over into Christian’s expressions. It’s a female tone. (“Am I being used for sex?”)

Christian should be strong, arrogant, confident, resolute then conflicted, intense, possessive as he battles with his former life style and philosophies since he has lived his life with contractual relationships with cursory care and feelings. The relationships around him (Dr. Flynn, Taylor, Bastille, and staffers close to him like Roz who don't fear him) should allow him to voice his turmoil, drives, impulses and his leadership choices in a distinctive tone and not melded with Ana's underlying sentiment. Christian is more experienced in some areas and learning in others (love, for instance). He should speak and his language should have a rougher rhythm. "I don't make love, I fuck HARD" blunt and to the point, no pussy footing. This took us by surprise and all the female readers were saying “Tell me more!” He takes a position, makes a decision, takes action and you feel it. There should be no ambivalence about his transition from being a wounded being to one healed by allowing love to release his inner demons. 

We, the readers love Christian. What it boils down to is that every woman has a version of Christian in her head which is why I wrote his point of view and you, the readers from 187 different countries came to read it. We are also a community who first came together because of Christian Grey. We invested our love and time in his character by studying it, discussing it, bringing him to life. We’ve bonded, made friends around the globe, met one another; heck, I went all the way down to Brazil after traveling 34 hours to meet my readers, and to me, that was amazing; a totally priceless experience! All due for a book some people hate! So, in the end, when people flock to the movie, or to see the author to get her autograph or to read Christian's point of view, it’s not just because it’s “just a book”; he personifies what the trilogy brought out to the surface in all of us. I will never forget when one of my Brazilian readers' husband said to me on the phone: “What you write, saved our marriage.” That’s good enough reason for me to continue writing him. It’s my community service, and my expression of his character, cementing our friendship, helping others to communicate in their bedrooms.

(My Brazilian sisters and I)

So, what’s the verdict? Read it in New York Times!  A Walk in The Clouds blog and I are in the following review:

‘Fifty Shades’ Fan Fiction Assumes a Life of Its Own