Jack Of All Shades
Entertainment Weekly|April 19 - 26, 2019

With The Mister, E.L. James is looking to break free from the bondage of all that Fifty Shades has come to represent—and start fresh. But can she?

Maureen Lee Lenker
Jack Of All Shades

BODICE RIPPERS. MOMMY porn. Airport trash. Critics of romance fiction have no shortage of lazy ways to dismiss one of publishing’s most lucrative genres—and one of their most popular targets is E.L. James. In 2012, she upended the publishing world with her mega-selling debut, Fifty Shades of Grey, an erotic tale about the relationship between a college grad and a billionaire that captured millions of women’s imaginations. It spawned two sequels, three films, an SNL parody, and probably more than a few children conceived in rekindled marriages.

For many, James emerged as the face of romance, though the author, 56, is reluctant to embrace the concept: “I find it a little overwhelming.”

This story is from the April 19 - 26, 2019 edition of Entertainment Weekly.

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This story is from the April 19 - 26, 2019 edition of Entertainment Weekly.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.