It is considered "erotic" by those who have had no other experience with any form of erotic literature. Terms like "down there" and "holy crap" make up most of the sex scenes, which are so passionless and repetitive that it will leave you wanting B-grade porn. The characters are all INCREDIBLY unlikable, with Ana Steele being a bland stand in with no sexual knowledge whatsoever, and an all around dimwit. Christian Grey, on the other hand, is the poster child for an abusive relationship. It is not BDSM erotica, this is poorly written Twilight fanfiction that made a killing, and as such makes me want to rip my hair out. If you want good BDSM erotica, try asking people with actual experience in the field, because I can guarantee you none of them wound recommend this.