While Fifty Shades of Grey dominates theaters this weekend, it’ll be easy to forget that the E.L. James erotic novel on which the film is based is quite the work of writing: flip to any page and it’s clear that James’ style—My inner goddess is swaying and writhing to some primal carnal rhythm—is truly a force of nature.
Every sentence is more or less quotable, but Amazon rounded up the top 10 most highlighted quotes from Fifty Shades’ Kindle e-book edition. Here’s a glimpse of which lines readers loved so much they just had to save so they could read them again:
“Because I’m fifty shades of fucked up, Anastasia.”
“A man who acquires the ability to take full possession of his own mind may take possession of anything else to which he is justly entitled.”
“‘The Flower Duet’ by Delibes, from the opera Lakmé.”
“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”
“‘Villa Lobos,’ an aria from Bachianas Brasileiras.”
“Men aren’t really complicated, Ana, honey. They are very simple, literal creatures. They usually mean what they say. And we spend hours trying to analyze what they’ve said, when really it’s obvious. If I were you, I’d take him literally. That might help.”
“It’s called Spem in Alium, a forty-part motet by Thomas Tallis.”
“‘Chopin. Prelude opus twenty-eight, number four. In E minor, if you’re interested,’ he murmurs.”
“He’s … taciturn.’”
“No, Anastasia, it doesn’t. First, I don’t make love. I f*** … hard.”
See the Most Memorable On-Screen Couples
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