I am not feeling articulate enough for this, but never mind.

Could have been amazing - Trocchi clearly talented; sad that need for smack overran this. However, tragedy runs nicely alongside book and its content. Several amazing passages. Skeptical at first that a man could convincingly portray first-person womanhood, particularly in erotic context, but was very wrong. Which was nice.

I picked up this book because it was so controversial when it was published. Controversial because of the descriptive sex passages and erotica. It's much less graphic than anything I'd expect to see today.
Parts of the love story rang really true for me, but for the most part the characters fell flat somewhere between a romance and erotica. Not really worth all of the hype.

I read this in one sitting. It was mega, although I found the set-up that bookends the story quite disappointing. Severin really doesn't need that: he's far more compelling and reachable as a slave than as a tyrant. More to the point, it just wasn't necessary. I'd take it out and just have the story as told from his journals - it'd shine more brightly on its own. Still definitely worth a read, though.

I read this in one sitting. It was mega, although I found the set-up that bookends the story quite disappointing. Severin really doesn't need that: he's far more compelling and reachable as a slave than as a tyrant. More to the point, it just wasn't necessary. I'd take it out and just have the story as told from his journals - it'd shine more brightly on its own. Still definitely worth a read, though.

What I loved about Story of O was that it didn't at all feel like it was primarily a pornographic novel; I didn't feel as though it were frothy and meaningless and written for the sole purpose of titillating the reader. I thought O's character and needs and motivations were remarkably well-explored, and that as a reader I was almost forced into direct empathy with her, which, of course, made it that much more affecting. I also really enjoyed Réage's writing style: claustrophobic, compulsive, immediate yet lingering, and overwhelmingly feminine. This book really impressed me: it is a brave presentation of sexuality, particularly given the time at which it was written. I'd certainly read it again, although it didn't grab me in the way my favourite books do.

These are relatively minor points that are dwarfed by its positive aspects, but: it bothered me that O was the only character I felt was adequately explored, and overall I didn't feel the book documented a development as much as it did an examination of an unchanging state, which does not only O but the nature of masochism and sexuality a disservice. I appreciate that the anti-climactic ending suggested a continuing narrative (in fact, there's a sequel, although I'm not falling over myself to get at it just yet) and that stories do not require blatant endings; that said, its fairytale composition seems to lie uncomfortably against its consistency. I was very struck by the contrasting imagery at the beginning and end of the book, but felt somewhat let down that this was in no way connected to the actual trajectory of the narrative.

What I loved about Story of O was that it didn't at all feel like it was primarily a pornographic novel; I didn't feel as though it were frothy and meaningless and written for the sole purpose of titillating the reader. I thought O's character and needs and motivations were remarkably well-explored, and that as a reader I was almost forced into direct empathy with her, which, of course, made it that much more affecting. I also really enjoyed Réage's writing style: claustrophobic, compulsive, immediate yet lingering, and overwhelmingly feminine. This book really impressed me: it is a brave presentation of sexuality, particularly given the time at which it was written. I'd certainly read it again, although it didn't grab me in the way my favourite books do.

These are relatively minor points that are dwarfed by its positive aspects, but: it bothered me that O was the only character I felt was adequately explored, and overall I didn't feel the book documented a development as much as it did an examination of an unchanging state, which does not only O but the nature of masochism and sexuality a disservice. I appreciate that the anti-climactic ending suggested a continuing narrative (in fact, there's a sequel, although I'm not falling over myself to get at it just yet) and that stories do not require blatant endings; that said, its fairytale composition seems to lie uncomfortably against its consistency. I was very struck by the contrasting imagery at the beginning and end of the book, but felt somewhat let down that this was in no way connected to the actual trajectory of the narrative.

I read this b/c I was curious about all the controversy and cult status that it has. I was very disappointed. I didn't like the book at all.