Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades Darker is a 2012 erotic romance novel by British author E. L. James. It is the second installment in the Fifty Shades trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. The first and third volumes, Fifty Shades of Grey and Fifty Shades Freed, were published in 2011 and 2012. The novel is published by Vintage Books and reached #1 on the USA Today best seller list.

Plot

Three days since leaving Christian, Anastasia "Ana" Steele has begun her job at Seattle Independent Publishing (SIP), where she has been hired as personal assistant to editor Jack Hyde. Ana gets an uneasy feeling about him as he continually asks her out, but writes it off. Christian emails her to see if she needs a ride to her friend Jose Rodriguez's gallery exhibit in Portland, which she had forgotten about until Christian emailed her. The pair attend the show together and reconcile their relationship by kissing in an alley and visiting a restaurant together. Christian buys José's portraits of Ana for selfish reasons, one of which is to prevent random people from buying them and displaying them in their homes, and the second is for his own amusement.

Christian reveals to Ana that he has bought SIP, but the deal must stay secret for another month. Ana is furious that Christian is interfering in her career, especially after he freezes the company's accounts so that she cannot go on an overnight business trip to New York with Jack. Christian insists that it was for her own protection, because Jack is a "known philanderer", as he apparently harassed his last five assistants. Their suspicions about Jack prove correct when he corners Ana after hours and blackmails her, demanding sexual favors. Ana's self-defense training allows her to escape. Christian has Jack fired and confiscates his work computer.

While attending a masquerade ball at Dr. and Mr. Grey's residence, Ana meets Elena Lincoln (whom Ana nicknames Mrs. Robinson) for the first time and finds out that Elena and Christian own a salon business together. Later, Ana is auctioned off and Christian bids $100,000 for the first dance with her. Ana is disgusted that Christian continues to be friends with the woman who seduced him when he was only 15 years old. When Mrs. Robinson realizes that Christian sees Ana as a girlfriend and not a submissive, she becomes antagonistic towards Ana, trying to sow discord in the budding relationship.

Ana is being stalked at work by a disturbed Leila Williams, one of Christian's former submissives. Ana's fear intensifies when she discovers that Leila has a gun. It is revealed Leila's obsession began after her lover died in a car crash four months before, leading to a mental breakdown. Leila breaks into Ana's apartment and threatens her at gunpoint. Christian defuses the situation by utilizing their dominant/submissive dynamic, but this leaves Ana worried that Christian cannot be satisfied with a vanilla relationship. Ana confronts Christian about Leila. Fearing she is leaving him again, he impulsively proposes, but Ana needs time to consider it.

José drives to Seattle to visit Ana. Christian still views José as a romantic rival, and only permits Ana to see him if they both stay at Escala. On the night of José's visit (and the night before Christian's 28th birthday), Christian goes missing while flying from Portland to Seattle in his helicopter with Ros Bailey. He safely makes it back to Escala, and explains that both helicopter's engines failed; sabotage is suspected. Ana realizes she never wants to be without him and accepts his marriage proposal.

The next day, the Grey family throws Christian a large birthday party at their mansion. Kate worries about Ana after finding an email between Ana and Christian, discussing the BDSM Contract. Ana assures Kate that her relationship with Christian is a vanilla one. After Christian and Ana announce their engagement, Elena angrily confronts Ana, accusing her of being a "gold-digger", and claims a vanilla relationship will never satisfy Christian. Grace Grey, Christian's adoptive mother, overhears the argument and is furious that Elena preyed on her teenage son. Elena leaves in disgrace and Christian decides to end their business relationship.

Christian takes Ana to the boathouse, which is decorated with flowers and soft lights. He proposes properly with a ring and Ana accepts. Outside the Grey's mansion, Jack Hyde is secretly watching the party; he reveals that he sabotaged Christian's helicopter and swears revenge.

Characters

Reception

The novel reached #2 on the USA Today best seller list and is considered by The Guardian to be #11 on the Top 100 Bestselling Books of All Time.

Film adaptation

In March 2014, the producer for the first film, Dana Brunetti, had said there were, as of then, no solid plans to make a sequel. The first book of the series was adapted into a film by the same name and released on 13 February 2015. Before the first film premiered, there was still high anticipation from fans for the sequel to the film. After the first film premiered at a special fan screening in New York City on 6 February 2015, director Sam Taylor-Johnson confirmed two sequels to be succeeded after the first film, with Fifty Shades Darker to be released in 2016. Principal photography will commence in June 2015 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In April 2015, at the Universal CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Universal announced the release dates of the film along with its sequel. The film is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2017. The first still from the film was released on Friday, April 24, 2015, showing Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey in a black mask looking into a mirror. In April 2015, Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley told The Hollywood Reporter that the second instalment will be "more of a thriller".

See also

• BDSM in culture and media
• Sadism and masochism in fiction

References