Fifty Shades of Grey
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How old should someone be to read this book?
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Angela
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rated it 5 stars
Feb 21, 2014 09:39AM
I would say someone in their 20's and up. This book is very sexual and could harm a young person's view of relationships. I was no where near mature enough to handle a book like this when I was 16. I am now 36 and I have read each book 11 times (not kidding). Its my go to book. I absolutely love it. I look past the sex and the hard core and see the book in a different light. I see a man with a past, struggling to find himself and his ability to love and be loved when he never felt he was capable and deserving. That's why I LOVE this series so much. It shows hope and it proves that love really can change a person. From Ana's perspective, she had to let down her guard and trust with everything she had to allow him the freedom to "love" her like he could at the time. Together they "charted a new course" and he gave up some things he felt he needed and she pushed herself to accept his quirks. It's an amazing read....when you're older. I would never want a young girl to think all relationships are like this one and try to find someone who could physically hurt her. Christian Gray is a character....that's where the maturity comes in, you have to recognize that. Hope this helps
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My daughter is 14 and wants to read it, NO WAY!!! But my 78 year old Mum read it, hated book 1, didn't say anything about book 2, but she still wants to read book 3!!!! Mmmmmm :)
Marianne, the more you try to keep her from reading it the more she is going to want to read. Would it not be better to let her read and you supervise and discuss all the issues raised In the story. It is very sad that The main character was abused and introduced Into a lifestyle at a very tender age. Not much older than your daughter. You could really lead her into some very delicate issues not many young people get the opportunity to learn about.
Judy wrote: "Marianne, the more you try to keep her from reading it the more she is going to want to read. Would it not be better to let her read and you supervise and discuss all the issues raised In the story..."I agree with you Judy, as I can say no to her reading my books, if she really wants too she can read online. I guess if she really is curious and she wants to read it, I would sit through it with her and discuss it, but thankfully she is really busy with school work, she has forgotten about it for now!!! But thank you for your advice :)
Have you seen some of the video games these so called kids play? I don't think this trilogy, and that is what it is, would make much of a dent in their growing up, kinky sex it may be but I thought things were a bit more open these days. Seems that it may not be the case judging by some of the comments here. I have yet to mention the likes of Miley Cyrus and Beyonce which seems a staple diet for young girls these days although my own granddaughter seems to be taken with One Direction.
its a beautiful book, there is no age limit, its for everyone,there are worst books, if it was so bad no one would have read all the rest
Definitely 18 & older !!
I think at least 18+. But people mature at different ages so it really depends it could end up being more like 20+ lol.
It doesn't really matter to me that much it all depends on if you can handle what the book is about...I'm 13 and I read it
Some people 50 and up are not grown enough for this book, so this is up to a person.
you know....given all the books out there, exactly why chose this series? Even your inner goddess would suggest other works, Dickens even.
What is most shocking to me is that people see this as a modern Kama Sutra. Really?
Lisa wrote: "Just wondering what you think the suitable age should be... I'm sixteen and I've heard that this book is really good but I'm not really sure if it's appropriate for someone of my age. I heard there..."i'm 46 years old waiting would be my answer to you. Its the dark side of sex.
Its fluff and Sex. And it wasn't that good
This thread just showed up on my update feed. It's 2 years old and I haven't read all 2 years' worth of posts so if someone's said this before, I apologize. I think whether it's a good idea to read these books depends on the maturity level of the person. Some are mature at 14, others are immature at 44. As for forbidding a teenager to read them, for some that's just throwing down the gauntlet. They'll go right out the next day and buy, borrow, or steal copies to read. My friend read them at the same time as her 18 y.o. daughter and they discussed it. IMHO, that's a good approach.
Well, I LOVE THE SERIES. I am 18 now but I read them I was 17. and you know what the sex part can be overlooked. Their chemistry and romance, its just so intense! <3
I think if your mature enough than you can definitely overlook the sex part this series was awesome wish there was more books tho
If you have to ask if you are old enough, then you're not old enough.
I think it's mostly to do with being mature it doesn't really matter how old you are but if your under eighteen then some moms would not allow a kid under 18 to read it due to the book being very descriptive when it comes to the sex scenes. But depending on the age they might not know what it means in those parts.
Obviously you shouldn't read this book if you're younger than 18 in general, for starters.However, it does depend from person to person. It depends on the education you were given and how open minded you are. Basically, the book treats the idea of a relationship which involves sexual tendencies towards BDSM. From that you should have an idea on whether or not you would like to read this book, besides that all people really need to know is that this book is very graphical, it exposes situations in which many people wouldn't be comfortable in. I read it and I didn't find it very appealing, not because of my personal ideas towards this subject but mostly because there was almost no actual story and it's not the most well written piece in literature.
If you do however like this sort of books, I highly recommend the series which begin with the book Bared to You, I believe that's the name. It does have the graphic moments this book has, but it also has a story around the romance between the couple. Both of whom had childhood traumas they need to get over, and they try to do it together, the specifics come after. But this is just a suggestion.
I think this is book for people who are over 25 for sure. Why? Not the sex, but for the casual beautification of an abusive relationship. This book should only be read by someone who calls out a manipulation and a stalker as they are. Ana justifies it all for love is in reality being confused. If you can't tell Grey is a stalker, then think again why it is not obvious to you.
It doesnt matter how OLD you are...All that matters is how BORED you are...
Personally, I'd recommend not reading this book.
Why? Easy. Ana and Christian's "love" isn't love. It's abuse. I'll tell you what I told my friends. If a guy put you through the things Christian put Ana through, you would be running for the hills and/or slapping a restraining order.
I read the whole series. I enjoyed the sex scenes. They were very well written. Now this is from someone who reads a lot of romance, erotic romance and some erotic/literature. The sex scenes don't bother me a bit, but the beautification of such abusive relationship is disturbing. I worry that the immature would think this type of manipulation can be justified by love, when it cannot possibly be with someone like Ana who is so naive about relationship and sex. They story has a happer-ever-after relationship. What if someone naive, regardless of her/his age, doesn't get this ending in real life? What will he/she know about what shouldn't be done to him/her? How can he/she stand up against another manipulation sugar-coated with lies?
I'm a little behind and just recently read this book. Me personally I didn't think it was that great or that memorable other than the fact that it had a lot of sex scenes in it. I thought it lacked any depth, but that is just me. I would not read it again or really recommend it much.
I agree with Justine - it's the reader's maturity rather than physical age.
Thank u I was 17 I believe at the time I read it I am very mature for my age. But I didn't realize that these books were like this until I got into them more and more. I liked the story line they were different than the books I've read before and if that person is mature go ahead and read them. I never had my mom and dad tell me what books I couldn't read they let me go crazy knowing I knew that they were only stories. I had a very hard time reading before when I was younger, so because I here now reading 200 page books in 2 days and sometimes bigger books I am proud of myself for coming so far when I had such a problem with reading before.
Lily wrote: "I'm younger than you and I started reading it not knowing what the main idea of the book was. The description doesn't indicate any of the nasty stuff that goes on in that book! Seriously, I'm scarr..."Actually ,50 shades of grey it's an amazing book and you'll think that straightaway because someone spent time in writing this ,And maybe we should appreciate any book who's author gave so much just to write something .It clearly says on the back of the book "..This is a novel that will obsess you,possess you and stay with you forever ".You might search about the book before you read it so you don't get "scared " after reading it without knowing what is about.What part of "obsess you .possess you " doesn't indicate that is not a simple love story ?.You people just simply criticizes the author because she decided to write something different and most of us received this book with open arms because it a GOOD book and that's why a movie based on this novel is almost ready to release .You can't judge a book just because you don't like or you found it "inappropriate ".We are all free to do what we like .And if you want to write a book about BDSM, why shouldn't you ?If you know you can write a good story and bring the things that maybe some people don't see about BDSM ,great .I think this book it's simply wonderful because it shows the bad and good part of bdsm and overall it's a love story .And you know ,there are people who love this book and maybe showed them another world which most of you don't want to see.
And to conclude ,i'm 15 years old and i didn't' know what this book is about and i just couldn't let it down until the end .I cried and laugh and it's an incredible love story with ups and downs .
I personally think that it only depends on how comfortable you feel with reading it, and the maturity of the reader. I am younger than you. I am 14, and I've read it. It was okay. No big deal at all. It's just sex, something natural in our lives.
Like some other posters, I think it depends on the maturity of the reader. I read the series when I was 15/16 (I'm 18 now) and thought the books were subpar in the writing department.
Preferable not to read sh*t whatever our age.
Danny wrote: "Preferable not to read sh*t whatever our age."Who are you to judge ? How could a "reader " name a book "sh*t" ? whatever the gender is ,whatever it's about we should appreciate not destroy what others are doing
Diana wrote: "Danny wrote: "Preferable not to read sh*t whatever our age."Who are you to judge ? How could a "reader " name a book "sh*t" ? whatever the gender is ,whatever it's about we should appreciate not ..."
I have the same right to tell my opinion than you to tell yours. That's what we call "freedom of speech".
Oh really ? so are you the best author in the world ?if you have no idea of what writing is about then don't comment .We can not pretend we are something while we aren't .I can also judge a lawyer because in my opinion he's not good but but who am i to judge him ?i'm not a lawyer neither God .Yeah ,i can say i didn't like that book but don't call it like that because that's disrespectful firstly for people who like it and secondly for the author .Indeed some people my get offence of what" some people" are saying .But you what ? If you wanna be rude ,go on .Write a speech about why you don't like this or that book .Freedom of speech ,right ?We all have the right to judge and insult everyone because that's what we want ...freedom of speech .
I was 17 when I read this book so I can't really comment about being of age to read it. To be honest, 70% of this book is sex scenes so if you can't handle that, don't attempt to read it. I admit that in the first quarter of the book I was totally put off by Ana's attitude because she seemed...well...weak, which is something I despise in a character and I felt that Christian was simply...well...nuts. But at some point the dinamics changed and I began to like it. This book gives a brief glimpse into the BDSM world and I think that that is a good thing. Knowing what you like imvolves having knowledge of all your options. Fifty shades only gives a tiny taste but could persuade the reader to seek further information. That doesn't mean that after reading and liking it you should go straight for the hardcore stuff or anything. I guess that any age above 15 works as long as the reader is mature enough not to go on a Christian Grey scavenger hunt and get more than they bargained for.
i think 81 years old guy could enjoy it
Reham wrote: "i think 81 years old guy could enjoy it"I wouldn't go that far but...heck...everybody has a guilty pleasure, no matter the age. Who are we to judge? :))
I NEED A HORSE wrote: "6 years olds and above, lol. Read my review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
That's unnecessarily harsh. Of course you are entitled to your own opinion but you could have at least read the book before judging it so drastically. I admit that the writing style is - and I don’t mean to be mean - mediocre but the book does have a few pluses. It opens a reader's eyes to a world they might not have known existed. You might not agree with what that world stands for but it's really uncalled for to say such things about something you know nothing about. There's no way you didn't know what you were getting into when you picked up the book so if you knew BDSM (and that book is just a tiny taste of that world) isn't for you then you really shouldn't have bothered with it. Yeah, the beginning sucks and the writing isn't that great but when reading a book one should be mindful of the message that book is trying to send.
P.S. Would you, as a 6 year old, have liked to read about a guy bending a girl over a table and driving her crazy with his mouth? I really doubt that. Words have power and meaning. Don't thoughtlessly throw them at others without at least a bit of background info.
Haha, I enjoy this debate, so whether or not OP is still debating to read this book over a year later, I have to ask: is there a right age for learning about (admittedly badly done, and unsafe) BDSM? That is what is most referred to when people talk about the age appropriateness of this book. However, I agree with some of the others here that the more concerning thing is the love story being coercive, destructive, and not something naive readers should be idealizing. Twilight is in a similar vein. When I was a teenager I read slash-fic that was more explicit than this but it just grossed me out, it didn't make me think stalking was the way to woo a partner.
All I can grant this book is that it introduces readers to the mysterious world of BDSM. There is barely a scrap of romance in this book, but mostly sex. Characters were ok but I can't say I particularly liked them, and as I've said before the writing is mediocre. For those who are not prepared to enter tbe BDSM world if only a little, DONOT READ TTHIS BOOK!
Kathelin wrote: "I NEED A HORSE wrote: "6 years olds and above, lol. Read my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
That's unnecessarily harsh. Of course you are entitled to your own opinion but ..."
Haha, fair enough. Thanks for reading it though.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
That's unnecessarily harsh. Of course you are entitled to your own opinion but ..."
Haha, fair enough. Thanks for reading it though.
Yeah, I read this when I was 14 and it was kinda mind-blowing like it introduced me to alot more steamy romance novels, and i was kinda okay with that because i enjoyed them. I wouldn't say its best for young teens to read this, but at the age of 16 is probably definitely the to youngest i would suggest. Because im telling you, my mind lost all innocence...
Okay I read this book when I was sixteen (last year), as I wanted to know what the hype was about and also how come this fanfiction story become a book, like seriously. Anyways, even though I had a sort of an idea on what BDSM was about and was kinda comfortable reading explicit scenes, I still had to skip some parts to where there was dialogue, as it was uncomfortable. To summaries if you want to read a book with a plot line similar to twilight and is filled with porn. You have found your ideal book.
Enjoy.
Bookworm4lyf1
Alaska wrote: "Yeah, I read this when I was 14 and it was kinda mind-blowing like it introduced me to alot more steamy romance novels, and i was kinda okay with that because i enjoyed them. I wouldn't say its bes..."Hahaha,yeah that's true ,after reading this book you actually know too many things to be innocent again.:)
Troy wrote: "So let me ask this, for people reading the explicit things in this book and it being a first time reading anything like it or knew that people did these types of acts, do you want to do them, or do..."When i first read this book i literally had no idea what is about not even what the gender is .Back then i hated reading but somehow i have seen a quote from this book and from that moment i started to read Fifty shades of grey ....and honesty this book changed my whole life and now i think differently and maybe more maturely than before . Therefore ,my life changed in a good way and that's because i like reading books now and i just can't see may life without books .Indeed ,i 've never heard about bdsm before ,until this books showed me that there are people that have a different lifestyle .I can continue for ages talking about this but i'll go straight away to your question .No ,i do not want to do them or practice them ,however this book brings the idea of "bdsm "closer to what actually is . After reading this book i searched i lot about this kind of stuff and people do practice them . And i realized that there comes a time where you need to know these things because i think it's something normal for you to KNOW not do them.Furthermore ,it didn't scare me at all because i was so excited to ..read about this and know these things that just emphasis the reading of it . :)
Well ,yes i totally agree with you .If you want to read this particular book ,you should be over 18 because it can have different effects on certain people .You definitely should search about the book before reading it because there are people who are more mature at 16 than others at 18 .In my opinion ,someone should be at least 17 years old because that's when you get the ideas and understand better what this books is about .I consider myself as a "happy case" because it had a big impact in my life and it was a good one .however as i've read lots of comments about the book where people got offended by the details ,etc. I think a mature person wouldn't get offended by the book because for some people it's a normal life ,their life .
It was not too bad, I am pretty young and wished I had waited to read this book.
Troy wrote: "So let me ask this, for people reading the explicit things in this book and it being a first time reading anything like it or knew that people did these types of acts, do you want to do them, or do..."Okay certain acts like the milder explicit scenes I would not mind doing them, but then I need to look at some of the acts I would like to do and c if my religion allows it or no, if yes, then bring it on.
Also as I have said before this is not my first time reading this type of things, however when I first read a book and oral sex came up I felt green for days, I had to get over it to carry on reading.
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