I talked to a female friend about 50 shades just yesterday. She's read all three books (I didn't realize it was more than one) and watched the movie and is pretty into it. Based on the plot synopsis she gave me of the whole trilogy, what it sounds like is essentially just the classic super-formulaic grocery store romance novel plot:
- Theres a somewhat troubled, super-masculine dominant alpha male who has resisted all attempts to be tamed and who exerts his dominance on anyone and everyone around him.
- Until a fairly generic, not particularly attractive or special everywoman comes along (easy for the female reader to imagine herself as the protagonist).
- This nothing-special woman manages, with struggle and much doubt, to capture the alpha male's heart and he turns into a complete and total beta, but only towards her. He maintains his total dominance and super-masculine personality toward everyone else.
- They live happily ever after.
This one just happens to involve a modern day CEO rather than a barbarian warrior or knight in shining armor. I have no idea why this book was so successful when so many other trashy romance novels have used essentially the exact same plot before.
I think part of it has to deal with social media and another part has to deal with "unusual" fantasies. Few women's novels cover new territory in fantasies. They typically stay in the area of cheating, casual sex, romantic sex etc. I haven't heard of the women's novel that goes in gangbang territory and is successful, which is a fantasy a lot of women have.