Raunchy read for the ladies

IPSWICH has gone fifty shades of crazy.

Paula Stuhmcke from A Lot of Books in the Ipswich Mall takes the last Fifty Shades of Grey off the shelf. . Picture: Claudia Baxter

IPSWICH has gone fifty shades of crazy.

The hit book Fifty Shades of Grey has proved so popular in town, book sellers can't keep up with demand.

The book, a work of erotic adult fiction by first time author EL James, has become the fastest-selling book of all time.

Its two sequels, Fifty Shades of Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, have also been in hot demand.

It has sold double what The Da Vinci Code, currently the highest selling paperback of all time, sold in the same period of time.

Riverlink Angus and Robertson franchisee Stephanie Walkem said the store had not been able to stock enough books to meet demand.

"It's just been crazy how popular it's been," she said.

"People just love it, we can't keep up with the amount of demand there has been for it."

Nationally the book has sold 600,000 copies since it was released in April and is already on its third printing.

Ipswich Mall-based A Lot of Book said they had no copies of Fifty Shades of Grey and only one of the third book in the series.

Store co-owner Paula Stuhmcke said the book did not receive much interest when it was first released.

"When we got the first book in stock it didn't really sell," she said.

"We only had a few copies and no one was buying them, but then in literally two days, all our copies were gone."

Ms Stuhmcke said despite being sold out the book had become their most-asked-after item, especially with women.

"I think the only men who have bought it have come in here with orders to get it," she said.

"It's almost all been women coming in and getting it."

The controversial book tells the story of a young woman's relationship with a manipulative billionaire and has been criticised for its depictions of sexual bondage and BDSM.

SMASH HIT

Fifty Shades of Grey started out as a piece of Twilight-inspired fan fiction. EL James reworked the story as an original story.

The books were originally released as an e-book

It has sold around 10 million copies worldwide.

Originally published as Raunchy read for the ladies