Fifty Shades Freed (James)

Fifty Shades Freed (Book Three of the Fifty Shades Trilogy)
E.L. James, 2011
Knopf Doubleday
592 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780345803504


Summary
When unworldly student Anastasia Steele first encountered the driven and dazzling young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both of their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and, ultimately, repelled by Christian’s singular erotic tastes, Ana demands a deeper commitment. Determined to keep her, Christian agrees.
 
Now, Ana and Christian have it all—love, passion, intimacy, wealth, and a world of possibilities for their future. But Ana knows that loving her Fifty Shades will not be easy, and that being together will pose challenges that neither of them would anticipate. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own identity. And Christian must overcome his compulsion to control as he wrestles with the demons of a tormented past.
 
Just when it seems that their strength together will eclipse any obstacle, misfortune, malice, and fate conspire to make Ana’s deepest fears turn to reality. This book is intended for mature audiences. (From the publisher.)

See our Reading Guides for the other books in the Fifty Shades Trilogy: Fifty Shades of Grey, the first book; Fifty Shades Darker, the second.

Author Bio
E L James is a former TV executive, wife and mother of two based in West London. Since early childhood she dreamed of writing stories that readers would fall in love with, but put those dreams on hold to focus on her family and her career. She finally plucked up the courage to put pen to paper with her first novel, Fifty Shades of Grey. (From the publisher.)

Book Reviews
Sorry, There are no mainstream press reviews online for the Fifty Shades Darker, the second book in the Shades of Grey trilogy. See Amazon and Barnes & Noble for helpful customer reviews.

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for Fifty Shades Freed:

1. The third book of the trilogy opens after Ana and Christian's wedding. Is their marital relationship what you expected? Is it more of the same...or different from books one and two?

2. E.L. James introduces flashbacks into this novel. Why might she have done so? Do they enhance the flow of the novel...or slow it down?

3. Does James maintain the same page-turning level of suspense in this third installment as she did in the other two?

4. What does the title mean?

5. Some feel that James should have ended the series after the second book. Do you agree or disagree? Is the book repetitive or does it introduce something new, either in terms of plot or in the relationship between Ana and Christian?

6. Is Ana and Christian's relationship an abusive relationship masquerading as a romantic one...or something else?

7. What do you think of Christian's reaction to the news that Ana is pregnant? Would you want to bring a child into a "family" environment such as theirs? What kind of parents do you predict they'll be in the long run?

8. Why is Ana always apologizing? Readers have complained throughout the series that Ana is either stupid, dense, or lacking any kind of backbone. Do you agree or disagree? Does Ana change by the end of book three? If so, how?

9. If you were Ana's friend, what would you advise her regarding her relationship (and now marriage) to Christian?

10. What about Christian—does he change? Would you have stayed with him despite his good looks and wealth? What else is there to recommend him?

11. At the end of the book, Christian still looks upon Mrs. Robinson a friend, despite the pain she had caused him? Why? Does it bother you that he finds a way to exculpate a pedophile?

12. Does the series end where you wanted it to end? Does the ending feel forced or tacked on...or does it evolve naturally from what came before?

13. Are people who engage in BDSM troubled? Or is BDSM simply a more potent form of sexual expression, which explores the human soul on a deeper level?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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