E L James talked about her newest book and the film adaptation of her blockbuster novel Fifty Shades of Grey in an interview with Bustle.
The media-shy James’ latest novel, The Missus, was published on June 20 by Bloom Books. A critic for Kirkus called the book, a follow-up to her 2019 romance, The Mister, “simple and trite,” writing, “Even James completists looking for a last glimmer of Fifty Shades of Grey magic are bound to be disappointed.”
The Missus contains sex scenes, Bustle notes, but not of the BDSM variety that made her Fifty Shades series a controversial hit.
“I think a good sex scene requires you to immerse the reader in it, so they’re experiencing it as it goes,” James said. “It requires all the senses, and great choreography—get the knickers and socks off in the right order, so that the mental image is not interrupted by anything. Not too much talking or thought during sex, either, because you could lose the momentum.”
James was reportedly unhappy with the 2015 film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, which was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starred Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. She confirmed her displeasure with the movie to Bustle.
“I’ve seen it once,” she said. “I will say something about it one day—but I don’t want to talk about it now. There’s lots of fans who love the movie, and that’s great, and I don’t want to muddy that water for them.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
