Story of O

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Summary: "O" is a most accurate single text primer on D/s behavior...
Review: "O" was given to me by Elaine in 1978 without a word of explanation. After reading and rereading it over the years, I am grateful to "E" for introducing me to my "Master James" inside me. I have found that simply mentioning "The Story of O" to certain women unlocks a unique door to their true nature. I believe "O" to be a true cult classic much as "A Boy and His Dog" is to Don Johnson, and "The Rose" is to an understanding of oneself. In the beginning I thought "O" was mere fiction, however, towards the end I began to realize the "Reality" those pages hold for the reader who has an open mind. If you read Only One text on the subject of D/s, it has to be "O" which is a novel... or is it?

Rating:
Summary: If love does not lift,it is not love.
Review: I rate this book average because it is the thoughts of most people. This is not love,it is victimization,self-abuse and a power stroggle from a man. Even if a woman participates in these kinds of things,her motivation is love,in the sense to do anything to keep this person. Sad,that we would become so desperate for someone.I feel if we love ourselves eventually we will see that we do not need that excess stimulation.O died,not for love but because of torment.

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Summary: YOU PEOPLE ARE ALL SICK!
Review: I can't believe that people consider this trash a classic. This book is demeaning, degrading, and absolutely horrifying, especially to someone who's been in a relationship that, while not as physically corrosive as O's, left indelible emotional scars on the soul. The very fact that O is simply O, instead of having a real identity, shows that Miss Reage, if she is really a woman, is not attempting to show a deeper side to erotica but simply writing a chauvinist-booster. O always wore very anonymous clothes before she entered her prison, and she hardly ever speaks through the book, except to ask for more beatings and sex, tell her lover that she "loves" him, and to once, ONCE, voice herself about something, an "I can't" that she takes back later. What kind of message does this send to men? Yes, okay, control us, we have no problem? How can this book exist in 1998? What is wrong with a society that raves about this kind of pornography? (Of course, The People vs. Larry Flynt was a huge success at the movies, go figure.) I'm sorry, all you weirdos who liked this, but because of my experience in extremely dominant relationships, and those that threatened to turn physically demeaning and not just emotionally demeaning, and that caused all sorts of emotional problems for me, I just can't be an advocate of something like this.

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Summary: "A change of lifestyle book!" by Chris McDonald.
Review: I read the Story Of O when I was in my early twenties, ( I'm now 46). It was to change the whole way I thought about myself. Since I was a child I had been fascinated by stories involving war and, more specifically, torture. I looked for that theme wherever I dwelled in fantasy story-telling land. I had always thought of my appetite for pain and suffering (in others, as I am a true dominant) as being sick, depraved, non-conformist(?) evil. Then I read " O " It taught me that pain and pleasure can, and do, exist side by side. That love can, and often should be, physically painful. That: because it is sexually stimulating to whip, or bind, chain and humiliate the one you love it does not mean that you hate them, or wish to somehow make them suffer for pain that you have felt; but rather that you love and trust them enough to share your innermost desires. I have been fortunate enough to teach the secrets of dominance and submissiveness to the woman I love and we now share that most precious of gifts: Trust. She knows that for every stroke of the whip or crop, there will be a lingering kiss, a breath of passion to quench the fires of stinging pain. All because I read The Story Of O. Thank you Pauline Reage.

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Summary: It's a great help to women for understanding their desires.
Review: The story of O is a great story about what a person will do for love. It symbolizes the slavery each of us chooses in our own life. Slavery to what we want, namely, love. And what extremes we will do for it. It's a deeply moving novel told in a frighteningly erotic way, which makes it hard for some to see the true story. It's a book you can read over and over and see more each time

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Summary: Ultimate Devotion
Review: This was an amazing journey, the kind of book you can't put down, turning the pages as you hold your breath. I was also surprised to see how good of a translation it was (not perfect but very close). The psychodynamic of the young woman's tale is pretty traumatic. Her extreme devotion is petrifying and yet sickly attractive. It was as if her very existence was completely dependent on her lover, her master. This type of writing makes you ponder how many women succumbed themselves in situations where the happiness of another becomes their own... I think too many.

Rating:
Summary: A classic story.
Review: The Story of O is a classic story of one woman's total and ultimate submission. It's filled with beatings and with dedegration but the reader has to really overlook that in order to get to what it's really about--chosing to be a slave. Some people won't like this and you have to be extremely open-minded to "get it". But it is a classic and I would recommend it along with "Eager to Please" and others like that.

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Summary: Still makes me wet even after 15 years
Review: I love this erotic book. It still gets me so hot and bothered. I would give this book to all my boyfriends and lovers as a not-so subtle hint. Not to long ago my sister found my young 19 year old niece with a copy of her own. We both laughed, for as young women we would hide the book from our mom too! Make us wonder what mom was reading! Hmm...

Rating:
Summary: Very Very Good
Review: This story is extremely sensual and explicit. It is the story of a woman who surrenders to her inner desires to be dominated. The guy definitely takes charge and does not need to be told what to do. The first half of the book was outstanding, but from there it went a little down hill in my opinion. Don't get me wrong - I could not stop reading, but even so the events became a little difficult to be able to relate to (for me). I can relate to being tied up, for instance, but not to being cut or scarred (ouch!). Anyway, it is definitely worth reading if you haven't read it yet, and two more better than usual books of erotica that I would recommend along with this book are "Bedtime Stories for Women" by Nancy Madore and "Beauty's Release" by Ann Rice. Each book will leave you completely breathless.

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Summary: A must read for erotica fans, but somewhat misleading
Review: The key thing about the Story of O is that is the fantasy of a woman who is a sexual submissive. Which means that she enjoys being controlled. When you read the Story of O, what starts out as fun and entertaining becomes rather . . . frightening. This book was written before the modern BDSM movement, where Safe, Sane and Consensual define D/s relationships.

Books like "Slave Heart" and "In the Garden of Dark Delight", which do peer into the mind of the submissive and the dominant, are a better introduction to the "lifestyle".

Dominance and submission are about trust, about being able to trust people even when you are at your most vulnerable. The story of O is a fantasy, and a great one, but it should be seen as the submissive fairy tale it is, not as a bible for someone considering BDSM relationships.