It's the news that will make literary snobs kick their bookshelves in disgust: Fifty Shades of Grey has become the best-selling book of all time in the UK.

5.3 million of us have bought either a physical copy or a more discreet e-book version of the novel that has been writing its own headlines (or producing its own parodies) for months.

It has now sold more copies than The Highway Code - an astonishing feat for a novel that is primarily only aimed at 50% of the population.

50 shades
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Author EL James - who's story began as a piece of Twilight fan fiction - said: "My main ambition when I signed the deal with Random House was to see my books in the shops.

"I simply had no idea they would be so successful and this is totally unexpected."

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What Twitter has to say about the news...

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  • Bret Easton Ellis

    https://twitter.com/BretEastonEllis/status/232732903111540736

  • Emma Price

    https://twitter.com/TinyMaster/status/232849437582561280

  • David Bedwell

    https://twitter.com/DavidBedwell/status/232850275415773184

  • Dave Wyllie

    https://twitter.com/journodave/status/232848761129431041

  • Woodo

    https://twitter.com/woodo79/status/232845952610869248

  • Aleksandr Orlov

    https://twitter.com/Aleksandr_Orlov/status/232804583662034944

  • JordanFarley

    https://twitter.com/JordanFarley/status/232851259038765056

  • Darlene's Book Nook

    https://twitter.com/DarleneBookNook/status/232856913191243776

  • Cory Supporter

  • Adam Ryan

    https://twitter.com/AdamRyan2/status/232857052622487553

  • David Allen Green

    https://twitter.com/DavidAllenGreen/status/232856998469828608

  • Alan Meehan

  • Lily Blake

    https://twitter.com/lilyblake/status/232856570021691392

  • Andrea Regine

    https://twitter.com/heyyydrea/status/232856467928125440

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