Rating: 
Summary: People believe what they want.
Review: I'm a big porn fan, but I feel sorry for all the hypocrites on this board who choose not to believe Linda's very plausible story, just because it interferes with their own self-serving ideology.
A woman being exploted by a domineering man for sex and money is the oldest story in the world.
The book itself is a very interested story not only of how it happened to Linda, but also how the cultural fad the movie inspired was based on something so criminal. A very American story.
Rating:
Summary: Life is truth and media often illusion.
Review: In 1972, with the release of "Deep Throat" the most famous porno film ever made, Linda Lovelace was known as an open-minded, attractive and liberated young lady who enjoyed sex and wasn't afraid to say so. ORDEAL chronicles the real truth of her life. She was the victim of a violent, manipulative mentor who insisted she prostitute herself and perform in sex movies for easy money. This book doesn't disparage the actual movie "Deep Throat" which is still considered one of the best adult films for its unusual storyline and quirky humour. What the book does do is expose the horrific tactics used to manipulate a woman into doing this movie. Lovelace's life would not be unique but neither would it be every porno stars story. Despite her fame, much of her life was sour - abusive partners, poverty, and being the subject of crude jokes and staring. ORDEAL covers all of these aspects as does the books excellent sequel "Out Of Bondage". ORDEAL is a good book because it sets the record straight. Hopefully, it serves the dual purpose of Linda Marchiano getting her true horror stories off her chest and drawing attention to the fact that such a chain of events can happen to other young women. One is absolutely sympathetic to Lovelace throughout the book, despite the fact she makes herself a TOTAL victim. That's questionable. I read a novel version of "Deep Throat" which intended to pad out the movie. Naturally, it made Linda a cute and sexy gal that just loved to please. Many a mans fantasy I suppose, but this real account of the stars life continually reinforce the message - "It's a fantasy story. Sex, humour and willing to please girls cannot exist without darker emotional undercurrents." Read ORDEAL for a well-written, intelligent but disillusioning true tale.
Rating:
Summary: Life is truth and media often illusion.
Review: In 1972, with the release of "Deep Throat" the most famous porno film ever made, Linda Lovelace was known as an open-minded, attractive and liberated young lady who enjoyed sex and wasn't afraid to say so. ORDEAL chronicles the real truth of her life. She was the victim of a violent, manipulative mentor who insisted she prostitute herself and perform in sex movies for easy money. This book doesn't disparage the actual movie "Deep Throat" which is still considered one of the best adult films for its unusual storyline and quirky humour. What the book does do is expose the horrific tactics used to manipulate a woman into doing this movie. Lovelace's life would not be unique but neither would it be every porno stars story. Despite her fame, much of her life was sour - abusive partners, poverty, and being the subject of crude jokes and staring. ORDEAL covers all of these aspects as does the books excellent sequel "Out Of Bondage". ORDEAL is a good book because it sets the record straight. Hopefully, it serves the dual purpose of Linda Marchiano getting her true horror stories off her chest and drawing attention to the fact that such a chain of events can happen to other young women. One is absolutely sympathetic to Lovelace throughout the book, despite the fact she makes herself a TOTAL victim. That's questionable. I read a novel version of "Deep Throat" which intended to pad out the movie. Naturally, it made Linda a cute and sexy gal that just loved to please. Many a mans fantasy I suppose, but this real account of the stars life continually reinforce the message - "It's a fantasy story. Sex, humour and willing to please girls cannot exist without darker emotional undercurrents." Read ORDEAL for a well-written, intelligent but disillusioning true tale.
Rating: 
Summary: I did not believe anything from chapter 3 on.
Review: It is too bad that 'Linda Lovelace' had to tell lies about her past as a porn star. After finally leaving Chuck Traynor, she continued to make movies. People who were present when 'Lovelace' claims she was beaten during the filming of 'Deep Throat' remember no such thing happening. Would all of these people be conspiring to cover up for Traynor? I think not. It is very sad that 'Lovelace' had to resort to writing this sordid, disgusting book. In the first pages, she says this is so she will have something to tell her young son. As a mother, I would be mortified to have my children reading those kinds of things about me.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great case study of the abuse of women
Review: It took me five months after Ms. Linda Boreman's (Linda Lovelace) death in April 2002 to get a ratty paperback copy of Ordeal. Not only does Linda describe her descent into becoming a Porn Star, but also her dealings with her abusive boyfriend turned pimp turned husband turned porn actress agent. Although Linda speaks out against the porn industry, it is largely ignored for what it really is, a case study on abusive partnerships. The story is believable because Linda falls into the pattern of an abusive relationship. The abuse was taken to a sick extreme by her husband. It just so happens that her husband was into extreme sex acts and took a great amount of joy seeing Linda in pain. This is not much different than any other abusive relationship. There is a demension to this book that people are not connecting with. It is anti-porn. It is also about violence against women.
One side note, this book is extremely graphic in its descriptions. Many of my friends could not get past some of the detail and did not finish reading it. Not for the light hearted.
Rating: 
Summary: A tale of sexual abuse and rape of well known porn actress
Review: It's hard to imagine that the life of Linda Boreman aka Linda Lovelace, the porn actress is not full of roses.Indeed, she had to go through abusive husband, force prostitution, and coercing into starring in Deep Throat. In this book she gives out a sad and violence detail of the event when she was forced to be gang raped by her very own husband.
Rating:
Summary: Finally Free
Review: Linda Lovelace speaks about her past in a very graphic and disturbing way, and details her life with Chuck Traynor, who ultimately kidnapped and brutally beat her and made her submit to so many perverse and inhumane things. A Powerful Testimony about the power of hope and faith in God to deliver from darkness.
Rating:
Summary: Double-edged sword of notoriety
Review: Linda Lovelace's third book (and the first to be directly quoted from her, instead of other sources) unwinds a horror tale of abuse at the hands of her crudely ambitious husband, Chuck Traynor. Chuck appeared at a time in Linda's life when she was feeling restricted by her parents at age 21, and had a poor self-image. She lapped up his flattery and "star treatment" at first, since he seemed to be an "important businessman". Later, his behavior was straight out of a "cult recruits" manual: get girl to rebel against her parents, remove her (symbolic) umbilical cord, then attach your own cord and make her your love slave. After this, Chuck's methods went from pouring on the charm to veiled threats to outright abuse (classic pimp profile). Linda relays nightmarish stories in which she was regularly subjected to rape, prositution and physical pain. One day, Chuck just happened to trot her out to another crudely ambitious filmmaker, who was fascinated by Linda's talent for oral sex. The movie "Deep Throat" was born, and the rest, as they say, was history. Linda maintains that she never had the strength or courage to leave Chuck until all of these celebrities (like Hugh Hefner and Sammy Davis, Jr.) became part of her life, and in effect, took away some of Chuck's power over her. Some skeptics have suggested that Linda's book is a potboiler to make money now that she can't get any more pornography work (because of her age). There are certainly sections that I felt Linda could have elaborated on, such as her getting pregnant as a young adult, and giving up her baby for adoption. Maybe as part of the "Chuck Traynor" story it's not relevant, but when you're trying to make the case that poor self-esteem played a large role in your actions, it seems strange not to explain your out-of-wedlock pregnancy in a little more detail. There is also a section when Linda, working on the set of "Deep Throat", laughs out loud at a joke, and realizes that she feels good because she "belongs" and she's "part of a group". She doesn't explain why she would want to be a part of any group that's into pornography, since she spends the whole book talking about how degrading it was. Overall, though, I don't agree with the "sour grapes" theory. Linda made very little money as a porno star under Chuck Traynor's management, but she could definitely have made a bundle once she left him and got her own attorney. The fact that she chose NOT to become another Marilyn Chambers or Bambi Woods is consistent with her allegations. Also, Linda never claims that "females" hate pornography, prostitution, etc. She sites several examples of women who are into it, or at least claim to be, such as Andrea True. Women who aren't, as Linda claims she wasn't, are most often brutally forced into "scenes" (what could have caused all her bruises in "Deep Throat" if it wasn't a beating?). Whenever I see reviews of "Ordeal" that talk about how "sexy" it is, it's completely baffling. Unless, of course, one finds gang-rape, bestiality and torture erotic. If anything, "Ordeal" is a very unflattering portrayal of the so-called "Sexy 70's", since most of the people mentioned in the book are "brothers under the skin" like Hugh Hefner and Chuck Traynor. There's very little compassion or generosity among most of the "cast"; self-love and instant gratification are the buzzwords with this aptly named "Me" Generation. For those who were hoping for a sexy play-by-play with celebrities galore, this chilling look at the Ultimate Male Fantasy is sure to have all the effects of a cold shower. It's not a heavy-handed argument against pornography per se; it simply peels away the gold glitter and leaves the tarnish underneath for all to see.
Rating: 
Summary: Lovelace Tells All... Years Later
Review: The late Linda Lovelace explains in her memoir "Ordeal" that she was a naive kid who met and was pursued by Chuck Traynor. Once he had her trust he forced her into prostitution and porn; her overwhelming fear of him and what he would do to her (and her family) prevented her from fleeing him although (by her own admission) she had a number of chances to escape over the years. By the end of "Ordeal," I felt dragged through America's hotels and nightclubs, through one freaky party after another to meet every kind of weirdo. Lovelace talks about Hugh Hefner and Sammy Davis Jr. Is her book cathartic or boastful? Is "Ordeal" just her means of exploiting her 15 minutes of fame (infamy)? Ultimately, it is a peek into the seamier side of life. Lots of sex, dope, money, mansions, celebrities, etc. At least, that's what I got from it.
Rating:
Summary: Hardcore
Review: This book about poor Linda Lovelace is worth a read if for nothing else but the description of what happened inside the theater of the Playboy Mansion between herself, Chuck Trainer and Sammy Davis Jr., I guess old Chuck ended up showering for about a week after he caught a glimpse of what was really going on. The dog story is pretty wild as well. Linda drops some really big names in this book, you will be surprised, I guess they were afraid to sue her thinking that that would garner even more unfavorable attention. The period of time in her life covered by the events of this book paint a hellish picture, I am glad that the later part of her life before she died was much happier. RIP Linda.
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