General

Shades of Grey outsells Harry Potter

Sex sells, even if it’s only described in words. Still, it might still come as a shock that erotic pulp novel Fifty Shades of Grey is now the bestselling book of all time in the United Kingdom, the Telegraph reports. Sales of the last Harry Potter book have been eclipsed, largely thanks to the rapacious buying of married women over 30.

Shades of Grey has sold 5.3 million copies, including more than 1.5 million e-books. The two sequels have sold another 7 million copies. The first novel in the series was only released last year. It plots the steamy relationship between a recent college graduate and a much older billionaire.

Susan Sandon, who works at the book’s publisher, Random House, said: “The Fifty Shades of Grey phenomenon is perhaps one of the most extraordinary experiences of my entire publishing career and I feel privileged to be part of it.”

Book author E.L. James described the success as “completely and utterly overwhelming.”

Naturally, a movie is in the works.

 

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
FILED UNDER: