One sentence summary
Fifty Shades Darker by E L James is the second book in the trilogy; a romantic fiction that explores the further deepening of the intimate relationship between dominant Christian Grey and submissive Anastasia Steele.
Book genre
Fifty Shades Darker is a romantic fiction book.
Main topic of the book
Set in Seattle, the book explores the further deepening of an intimate relationship between the protagonists, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. We see increasing complexities, obsessions, secrets, and intense emotions as the story progresses.
Key ideas
- Love – the protagonists face various challenges as they confront the doubts of being able to trust and accept one other.
- Addiction – the characters struggle with their obsessive, addictive behavior and how it affects their relationship.
- Temptation – both protagonists face temptation from outside their relationship that challenge their faith in each other and must learn to overcome.
Main parts of the book and a short summary
Fifty Shades Darker is divided into two parts.
- Part One – Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey attempt to rekindle their romance, however they struggle to trust each other. Eventually they move in together and Anastasia meets Christian’s brother, Elliot. They deal with the issues regarding Jack Hyde, who’s still out to cause trouble for both of them.
- Part Two – There are new revelations about Christian’s past relationships that further threaten their relationship and make Anastasia increasingly uncomfortable. They have to confront their own inner darkness and make drastic changes, both have to learn to let go and trust, or else the future of their relationship is put into jeopardy.
Key Takeaways
- The protagonists must confront and overcome trust issues and outside temptations in order to continue building their relationship.
- Christian must be open and honest with Anastasia about his past if the pair are to have a future together.
- Love is not always easy but it is worth fighting for.
Author’s background and qualifications
E L James (Erika Mitchell) is a British author, best known for her Fifty Shades trilogy. She has a degree in History from the University of Kent,England and was a television executive in the late 1990s.
Target audience
The target audience of this book are adults and young adults who are interested in romantic fiction.
Publisher and first publication date
Fifty Shades Darker was first published by Vintage Books on April 17, 2012.