Now entering Chapter 2..
This is a ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ read along, posted as I read the book. There will be tons of spoilers…and a lot of naughty talk…if you’ve read the book, please join the discussion, if you haven’t read it already, be warned.
Chapter 2 is broken up into weird choppy scenes, which are rather unnecessary. They could have just been eluded to. I can understand now why people were thrown off by the time they made it this far, since Chapter 1 started off so strong. Makes me wonder how many times James rewrote the first chapter. I can already imagine how Christian and Ana will be reacquainted – will he be visiting her hardware store for some pulleys and leather straps??
On a personal note, Ana’s mother reminds me of my own mother, which is fun. Latest money making schemes and husbands/boyfriends. “Hi mom! XOXO” Then off to seeing how man times James can use besieged…
What happened? Chapter One was great, where did that flow go? I feel like I’m in a Sookie book and she won’t leave the damn garden..c’mon you know what I’m talking about.
Oh. Oh! Ouch!
Ok, I’ll stop my complaining – they meet again at the end when he shows up in her Hardware store. I guess it’s not pulleys (which is what I predicted earlier) but cable ties – I have to go Google what that is!
From all the finger zapping is one of them going to turn out to be a vampire or witch? I hadn’t heard that, but you never know, right? Would explain his need for dominance, those pesky vampires are always trying to exert their control over the lesser species.
By the end of the chapter I think I have it figured out. It’s the interaction between Christian and Ana that is so very powerful, that when they are not in a scene together the book just flounders. In the last part of the chapter it is all anxiety filled and I’m holding my breath because I have no idea what is going to happen.
“What is your thing, Anastasia?” he asks, his voice soft, and his secret smile is back. I gaze at him, unable to express myself. I’m on shifting tectonic plates. Try to be cool, Ana, my tortured subconscious begs on bended knee.
“Books,” I whisper, but inside, my subconscious is screaming: You! You are my thing! I slap it down instantly, mortified that my psyche is having ideas way out of its league.
Maybe he was hoping she wore this to work?
So, I’m wondering, did he come to that hardware store because he knows she worked there? And now with the looming photo shoot and third meeting, we know why James introduced us to Jose – which I’m guessing will be the photographer and the reason for Christian to maybe get a bit possessive. This is all me speculating though because it would be obvious plot devices.
“Good. Until tomorrow, perhaps.” He turns to leave, then pauses. “Oh–and Anastasia, I’m glad Miss Kavanagh couldn’t do the interview.” He smiles, then strides with renewed purpose out of the store, slinging the plastic bag over his shoulder, leaving me a quivering mass of raging female hormones. I spend several minutes staring at the closed door through which he’s just left before I return to planet Earth.
Okay–I like him.
We are now entering Chapter 3..
While James has this odd habit of breaking up a chapter into weird scenes, which I don’t like, what I do like is that she sure does know how to leave you hanging at the end of one.
I’m still wondering if Grey is stalking her…probably. Kate is smart too…
Kate: “But what was he doing at Clayton’s?” Her curiosity oozes through the phone. I’m in the depths of the stockroom, trying to keep my voice casual.
“He was in the area.”
Yeah right…(that’s my thoughts LOL)
Yet, by this point I’ve kind of had enough of the flushing/blushing…the girl is going to need to beef up on her iron pills if all the blood stays in her cheeks.
Ana: “Oh, kate, you know I blush all the time. It’s an occupational hazard with me. Don’t be ridiculous,” I snap. She blinks at me with surprise–I very rarely have hissy fits–and I briefly relent. “I just find him … intimidating, that’s all.”
For the photo-shoot, I did hit the nail on the head with the Jose photographer gig, but they didn’t get all testosteronie filled in a boy standoff, that is probably just me reading too many paranormal romances. But, a girl can hope. Nothing sexier than two men growling over each other. So, I’m assuming Jose is supposed to be Jacob at this point?
In chapter 3, instead of the usual anxiety, James has returned us to a clipped style of writing again with little explanation. That telling instead of showing technique which can get very bothersome in novels. I’ve also realized that Ana is trading in a dominant female (Kate) for a dominant male (Christian). Not a big Kate fan. There is not a lot of the inner monologue that I liked so much in regards to Ana in these chapters. It has gone from more of a witty, self-deprecating humor to, “OMG I can’t believe he’s looking at me, OMG I can’t believe I’m having coffee with him, OMG he smells like expensive stuff…Christian Grey, Christian Grey, Christian Grey”
Ana: I am going to have coffee with Christian Grey…and I hate coffee.
As far as things that stand out in these chapters …the fact that she used “Keen” in a sentence.
Ana: “I’m not keen on coffee.”
He got a leaf in his coffee which distracted me and made me think of the Green Hornet movie and the fact that I always wanted someone to make me a cappuccino with a leaf in it, so I must investigate local coffee shops…and then she almost gets run over by a wayward bicyclist. Cue the ‘Twilight’ comparisons again in my head. But these comparisons are so slight it’s only because I’m looking for them.
That ‘Carrier of the Mark’ book wasn’t fanfic and you could line it up with ‘Twilight’ and the only differences you would find would be the character names…
It all happens so fast –one minute I’m falling, the next I’m in his arms and hes’ holding me tightly against his chest. I inhale his clean, wholesome scent. He smells of freshly laundered line and some expensive body wash. It’s intoxicating. I inhale deeply.
- FSOG was Twilight Fan Fic — why not read the real thing?
- Alpha Males are best served Vampire. Try the Black Dagger Brother series.
- Want a little naughtier? Give a menage a try.
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That was me! I swear I would have never noticed the Twi comparisons had a million people (or 20) told me about them, and had me searching for them.
True, true, true…. But s till loved it!..lol…… There’s still hope, you not hating it yet.
Until next chapter
No, I’m actually really enjoying it…
I decided to bite the bullet and started reading Fifty Shades of Grey yesterday. Less than 24 hours later and I’m on the final chapters. I’m feeling scandalized, turned-on, repulsed, excited… and the list goes on. It’s hard to know what to think. I am noticing the Twilight-ness of it all but I’m not yet sure if that’s a bad thing… Thanks for the play-by-play. I’ll check back for more later!
Well!!! join the club. The fact that it invokes that much emotion says a TON right?? And the reason so many people are reading it.
I am totally confused by the first scene you added in. LOL. So she’s on shaky ground, her subconscious is screaming while on bended knee, she’s trying to slap something “down” – would that be the already kneeling subconscious? – and I had no idea psyches had leagues they could be out of… So confused.
But the second one drove me nuts: “He smiles, then strides with renewed purpose out of the store…” What is his purpose exactly? Was he lacking in purpose earlier when he walked? Wasn’t his purpose to leave the store with his purchases, get in his car and go? Why was his purpose renewed? Did he walk in with flagging purpose and then after buying cable ties for some sex play he felt reinvigorated and had to stride out all alpha male?
Add to it the fact that you mention the shifts in writing style, I think I’ll be much happier just reading your take on it.
Sorry for the comment snark.
Her subconscious and inner-goddessess can be confusing they battle a lot — LOL
These second two chapters were a little tough for me also. But I stuck through it…totally fine with the comment snark. It’s why I’m writing this.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of the next chapter. This got me so snarked out I ranted a little and linked to your post, I hope you don’t mind.
And I’m still wondering just how intoxicating washed clothes are. I think I’ll have to go sniffing cleanly washed strange men with body spray to see if I find myself as blown away as this girl is.
Must be tough for her to exist in society if that’s what gets her going.
haha oh Rachel, I totally thought of the Green Hornet with the leaf in the coffee thing too, and it made me laugh!
And I agree, the only reason I think I found so many similarities was more that I was looking for them…plus, I read a lot of Twilight fanfiction already, so I’m always trying to find comparisons to the books. I also agree that the best parts being the interaction between Christian and Ana…I mean apart from when she’s totally flustered with her raging hormones. Although since she’s never really liked a guy before this, I guess she’s due for a hormone overload. haha I also love Ana’s inner monologues…the wittier ones, or the ones that kind of egg on her bad behaviour…those ones are hilarious. 
haha I’d say more, but I don’t want to spoil you. 
I may just have to do a reread with you!
I don’t read fanfic, at least I don’t think I’ve read much — never did find myself in that area of the www. She is rather bipolar with all the inner drama though, which kind of cracks me up and then has me worrying a bit for her mental health…
I found fanfiction after I finished The Mortal Instruments back when it was a trilogy…I went on just normal fansites and some linked to fanfic, then I got hooked, and blossomed out into other series that I had read. Some are actually really amazing. Twilight does have some really great ones. I usually end up just finding fanfic authors that I really like and stick with what they read now.
haha I even made a page on my blog with some of my favourite in case any other fanfic addicts were looking for more. haha
She defintiely is! I was concerned at times too, but usually it just made me laugh too much for me to be worrying about her mental health. haha
Love this! I gotta say, I’ve read all 3 books and I loved them. It was so far from my normal reads (99% YA) and it was a nice distraction
Hope you enjoy it!!
Wow 99% YA and this, LOL that is a step away.
Online websites to read this without downloading anything?
Did you read it online? If so please send me the link.
I’m sorta totally against me reading this (not prudish reasons, but can someone that hasn’t lived the lifestyle please not be the face of the lifestyle), but I still want to know the storyline so I’m ultra-glad to see you doing these!
I’m totally with (commenter) Rachel on the writing. How is her subconscious on bended knee and screaming? Wouldn’t begging be a more apt description here? And why explain something emotional in a physical way such as this anyway?
Yeah, issues, but I’m excited to see how you like it as you go on.
LOL, I can definitely recognise all the writing issues, but I’m currently at the beginning of book 3 and I still love these books. I think it’s the characters – Christian and Ana really have this great chemistry that is brought to the page very well. As for the Twilight comparisons, I agree with you – I knew about it before starting reading, so now notice the similarities everywhere because I’m looking for them. It doesn’t bother me, but I’m trying to disregard them anyway, because despite the similarities on one hand, on the other hand the books are very very different.
Your take is interesting, I’ll be checking back to see what you think of the rest. I’m glad you like it so far.
Do you know ANYWHERE where I can read more than the first chapter of this book? Online i mean, without downloading anything.
Maybe u could try fanfiction, some people post the real stories on their. My name on there is LaurinnaInkheart
Hi Rachel,
You may want to remove the linked image from my website as redesigned the site and the link is no longer functioning. Thanks.