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juushikaI love the way that a good book slips through you fingers as swift and as slick as water. Of course not all good books move like that—I'm currently putting off a Jeffery Eugenides book not because I expect it will be bad but because my last foray into his writing was meticulously slow. This one, however, flows like as water: I'm reading The Story O, and almost cherishing the speed of it. I accidentally sped through a third of the book in a single sitting last night, and passing over a page can lead to a dozen more before I notice it. What a precious change.
Not to say that I haven't read good books lately (just finished another Jane Austen, for example) or that I have read books that are consuming (like The Time Traveler's Wife), but I've wanted a book like The Story of O for a while. I'm glad![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lupanotte's review reminded me to check it out—or as it were, purchase a copy. I find the premise intriguing. Like De Sade and like The Dreamers, the content of The Story of O—but nature of the boundaries it breaks—becomes psychological and philosophical. It is the story of one woman's submission to brutal and violent sexual acts for the pleasure of her lover. I view BDSM as a positive thing, but O's story takes BDSM past the boundaries of safety, consent, and mutual pleasure (in however atypical a sense) that I view as a necessary standard. At the same time that parts of the book are painfully erotic (to pardon the pun), I take issue with the character: above all things, she is driven by her love for her lover. This is a common sin, to allow yourself to be consumed and defined and so weakened by another person, but the book takes it to its extreme. O's journey towards debasement occurs of a literal, violent, exaggerated level. It is the heart of the book. The narrator obsesses over the debasement and its cause in equal parts. Through the events that O submits to, the reader sees into O's head, sees her thoughts and her desires and her self.
I've been jamming my to-read list with books about suicide and (consensual) abuse and incest and such topics because they explore a fringe of humanity and, in doing so, reveal something about its whole. I just read a book called Playing (review forthcoming) that has the same themes as The Story of O but a smaller scale and only a vague mimicry of this book's realistic introspection. It is delightful and so satisfying to read The Story of O, to see introspection done so well that the truth of it becomes discomforting.
More thoughts on The Story of O: the second half of the book and my review.
What besides books? Video games. I never talk about Second Life here because I know that it's a game you have to play to care about, but if you ever chose to check it out, I'm often around (and still post pictures of SL outfits to my Flickr. Meanwhile the boy just beat GTAIV last night, and having watched a good 90% of his gameplay I have to say I was very impressed. They did a great job of making the story real this time—it's not tear-jerking precisely but unlike the others it manages a greater depth than just humor, and Niko is a compelling character. Plus it's shiny. All the driving and shooting, two skills which I do not posses, intimidates me still—but I may pick up the game a bit and see if I can manage it.
The boy and I also broke down and bought Microsoft Points so that we could purchase Penny Arcade Adventure series: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One. My love for Penny Arcade knows no end, and so the characters and cameos and humor of this game appeal to me. Plus, it's an RPG, and I love those. I've just started playing it, so we'll see how good it is in time. Developers just announced the upcoming release of Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, which returns again to the gardens (rather than the mini games of the first sequel). I loved the first game so much, so I'm now itching for this sequel. Along with Spore and Fable II(!), it's now on my list of fourth-quarter game releases that leave me waiting impatiently. In the meantime, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith comes out in June.
Not to say that I haven't read good books lately (just finished another Jane Austen, for example) or that I have read books that are consuming (like The Time Traveler's Wife), but I've wanted a book like The Story of O for a while. I'm glad
lupanotte's review reminded me to check it out—or as it were, purchase a copy. I find the premise intriguing. Like De Sade and like The Dreamers, the content of The Story of O—but nature of the boundaries it breaks—becomes psychological and philosophical. It is the story of one woman's submission to brutal and violent sexual acts for the pleasure of her lover. I view BDSM as a positive thing, but O's story takes BDSM past the boundaries of safety, consent, and mutual pleasure (in however atypical a sense) that I view as a necessary standard. At the same time that parts of the book are painfully erotic (to pardon the pun), I take issue with the character: above all things, she is driven by her love for her lover. This is a common sin, to allow yourself to be consumed and defined and so weakened by another person, but the book takes it to its extreme. O's journey towards debasement occurs of a literal, violent, exaggerated level. It is the heart of the book. The narrator obsesses over the debasement and its cause in equal parts. Through the events that O submits to, the reader sees into O's head, sees her thoughts and her desires and her self.I've been jamming my to-read list with books about suicide and (consensual) abuse and incest and such topics because they explore a fringe of humanity and, in doing so, reveal something about its whole. I just read a book called Playing (review forthcoming) that has the same themes as The Story of O but a smaller scale and only a vague mimicry of this book's realistic introspection. It is delightful and so satisfying to read The Story of O, to see introspection done so well that the truth of it becomes discomforting.
More thoughts on The Story of O: the second half of the book and my review.
What besides books? Video games. I never talk about Second Life here because I know that it's a game you have to play to care about, but if you ever chose to check it out, I'm often around (and still post pictures of SL outfits to my Flickr. Meanwhile the boy just beat GTAIV last night, and having watched a good 90% of his gameplay I have to say I was very impressed. They did a great job of making the story real this time—it's not tear-jerking precisely but unlike the others it manages a greater depth than just humor, and Niko is a compelling character. Plus it's shiny. All the driving and shooting, two skills which I do not posses, intimidates me still—but I may pick up the game a bit and see if I can manage it.
The boy and I also broke down and bought Microsoft Points so that we could purchase Penny Arcade Adventure series: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One. My love for Penny Arcade knows no end, and so the characters and cameos and humor of this game appeal to me. Plus, it's an RPG, and I love those. I've just started playing it, so we'll see how good it is in time. Developers just announced the upcoming release of Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise, which returns again to the gardens (rather than the mini games of the first sequel). I loved the first game so much, so I'm now itching for this sequel. Along with Spore and Fable II(!), it's now on my list of fourth-quarter game releases that leave me waiting impatiently. In the meantime, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith comes out in June.
