It was described to me as a 'classic erotica novel'. This is the story of O, a fashion photographer living in Paris, France. The book was written nearly fifty years ago and caused much controversy when it was released. It's basically a tale of her submission for the man she loves, which takes her to the absolute limits of human existence. In the inital stages of the book she is taken to a house where her training for submission begins. You think this is bad, but wait until you find out what else she goes through...

As a woman, I thought this book made me think about my own life and how O's story reflected on me. Sounds strange, but it makes you think about how much you wouldn't do what O puts herself through.

It was a quick read. The story moves very quickly and there's a twist at every corner. There are no 'chapters' as such to break it up, just three main parts to the book, so you just keep reading...

In the beginning of the book I wondered why there wasn't much character development, in that you didn't get to hear or feel what O was feeling. It wasn't until later on that you got a feeling for what drove O to do these things. Also, I really didn't like the fact that the final chapter of O's story is not printed in the book! There's a brief description about what happens in the final chapter, but it's not actually there.

Must admit...I did have a little cry for O. Her story was so sad.

Empowered. O's story is tragic, in that while I could understand her motivation, I knew where it would take her. She was blinded by her love for a man who, in my mind, couldn't love her at all if he asked these things of her.

Can't say much about the writer because we really don't know what her real name is! She wrote under a pseudonym because of the scandal the book caused.

All woman should read this book! While it's very graphically written and almost horrifying at times, it really makes you think about your own relationships and ownership.

It's rather heavy stuff...if you're expecting a love story or a traditional ending, then don't even pick it up.

It's not a piece of literary genius, or even extremely well written. For it's time it was contraversial, but I think the time is irrelevant. This novel brings up issues that can be transferred across time.

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Created Jul 09, 2009 at 4:28pm • Submit your own review...