O for Over-rated!

[Michelle Byssom]

Amusing to see my two fav classics mentioned here: O, and the Beauty series by Rocquelaire. I first read O when I was 16 and I burned with the excitement of self-discovery as I read it. I still find some of that feeling when I re-read it. I showed it to a friend of mine recently whose comment was 'O does not sound like a very smart girl'! Needless to say, not a relationship that I had much interest in continuing -grins-

I found the Rocquelaire series a little disappointing stylistically - after utter shame has been experienced for the first time, what do you do afterwards? Experience it again I suppose. The first half of the first book however is a jewel.

Pauline Reage, whoever she is (blessings to her) showed me how to write as a woman about the kind of bdsm sex I enjoy. I suppose I must be about the same age now as she was when she wrote it and my advice to her would be to let her feelings show through more. Masters... doncha luvvem!

[Carmenica Diaz]

The Story of O certainly impacted on me at an early age but for various reasons.
I mentioned it to a close friend of mine (she is proudly French) and she told me that Dominique Aubry (spelling is probably terrible) wrote the story for her older lover, trying to keep his interest. It is clincial at times but ground breaking. Her lover was older, an academic and unfaithful.
What is it about academics?
I love to research and i followed through - she even met Charles De Gaule who rememebred her as the woman who wrote The Story of O Ah, those French!

[Chuckdom19]

My first exposure to BDSM was the writings of Marquis de Sade. Juliette & Justine made my pulse (and other things heh-heh) get excited, but it seems those writings are more aimied at men than women. Or at least, at Doms / Dommes. "O" is certainly beautiful in places; the chance to walk through the character's thoughts and fears helps one understand some of their own feelings... that there's something natural and common about them, not perverse. It removes some of the lonliness.

de Sade's writings are the glorifying of the Top's feelings. Those tomes deal with either learning to understand and like the emotions experienced by controlling another. And, again, it removes some of the lonliness in the belief you're the only one in the world who feels that way. In a sense, it frees you from the stigma of "wierd" and simply makes one unique.