Rating: 
Summary: Freedom in submission
Review: In this age of political correctness, it's probably difficult for people to deal with a book like "The Story of O". However, if you remove sexual politics from the story, what you have is a story of a true submissive. O finds freedom in submission. By surrendering her will and her ego to another person, she's liberated. In a way, it's almost spiritual. And, yes, it also gets her off. Personally, I'm not into S&M, but I still found the book interesting and thought provoking, although I found it to be more of a character study than straight forward erotica. If you're looking for a more explicit and elaborate delve into female sexual fantasy, I'd recommend "Delta of Venus" or "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty".
Rating: 
Summary: story of O
Review: This is a classic, highly erotic, and for those who are into DS
Rating: 
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: This has nothing at all to do with Oprah's magazine.
Rating: 
Summary: ho-hum
Review: I bought this book because it's considered to be a seminal work of erotica, especially BDSM. I wouldn't say it's a bad book, but I wasn't particularly impressed. I think Anais Nin blows her out of the water. And if you're bent on reading about women getting kicked around and whipped, you're much better off reading something by de Sade. The only way I can imagine Story of O being a life-changing book is if you've never read any sort of BDSM literature.
Rating:
Summary: Hardcore.
Review: I will give The Story of O five stars because it is a classic and one of the first BDSM novels ever written. Having said that, I found this book to be very brutal and very sad because the character, O, doesn't seem to have much life in her and accepts everything. I guess being a modern woman, this is odd to me. However, if you want to read a classic, read this one. I would also suggest "Breaking the Girl", which is a bit softer form of BDSM. Maybe even the "Sleeping Beauty" novels.All in all, a classic, though.
Rating: 
Summary: cold and unfeeling
Review: I wanted to like this book, really I did. I had heard so many good things about it. Then I read it. The story lacks passion/lust/love/hate and it shows. I just wanted to shake O and say "FEEL something damnit!" Thank god most real D/s relationships arn't this cold or we all would be suffering from frost bite.
Rating:
Summary: The answers to the questions I see repeatedly asked
Review: We dont see into the mind of O, because she is a slave, and that adds to the idea that she is an object not a person. If we did see into her mind it would take that aspect away, and she would not be doing somthing she enjoyed while being trained, she would be being tortured. The book would go from being a novel about DS to being a novel about being beaten and maimed. Its not sick, its beautiful, the typical Vanilla reader wont understand that though. you have to have an open mind to read a book like this, if you dont then dont read it. if your looking for kink and erotica dont read it, if you think that DS is sick then you probably know nothing about it, and you shouldn't read The Story of O. in order to appreciate its beauty, you must appreciate the beauty of the lifestyle, if you dont know about that, or appreciate that, then you wont appreciate the book. dont read the story of O for information about DS, do not read the book of Gor either, instead I suggest looking for a website about BDSM that writes about the love aspect of it and the Safe Sane Consensual rule. The Story of O is not for those interested in the lifestyle but not yet accustomed to it, you have to understand what it is to be a sub to read this book. I see people saying they dont like the "insider only" aspect to this book, and I find that silly. There are many books that would not be appreciated by everyone, sometimes some of the best. If writers wrote everything so that everyone liked it, all stories would be alot of fluff and lose all meaning. part of the beauty of the book is that its somthing you have to know about, somthing you have to have inside you, lived with, or lived yourself to TRUELY see its beauty. So please do not judge O until you can understand O, and give it a chance if you will, or if you find the book is not for you, simply put it away and think of it as a failed reading investment, not as the kink and masochism of DS. if you are interested in DS, try looking for reasonable resources, The Book of O isn't a good starting point. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: The Story of O, reveiwed by someone who lives it
Review: The story of O is a work about DS, a lifestyle not usually portrayed correctly. While the story can be a bit more brutal than some live it, it still is beautiful in the wholness of the underlying truthes within. Most people would not understand the Story of O, some people come to read it for the wrong reasons, expecting erotica or pornography. The book is a beautiful tale about a womans journey through submission. I am a sub myself, and my Master told me to read it. during my training I carried the book around with me, and it spoke to me. its important to read this book as a metaphore, and to move past the violence. to the typical "vanilla" reader, the book might seam harsh or violent, it might seem like an atrocity, that is why I say to look past it, look at it as a metaphore, look at it subjectivly, so that the characters blur away leaving only the vaguest lines of "Domme" and "sub" and the book will be much more informative. as someone who lives the lifestyle depicted, quite happily and abuse-free I might add, I know the power of the book, it is known in the DS community as a classic and a must read. however, I Think it should be read by all people, not just those involved in DS, its a beautiful book, and it is true on many many levels, a touching read for anyone.
Please note, that the SM involved in the book is not nessiscarily part of DS, it is just how it was expressed in this novel
Rating:
Summary: Story of...-O
Review: The first 20-30 pages of this book kept my attention. I agree with the other lessor reviews in that this book went nowhere. I kept expecting it to get better and it never did. There was no character development. The abusiveness was repetitious. There were no other characters that held my attention. Those involved in this lifestyle must like this book simply because it justifies something for them... disappointing are the best words I can think of to describe this book...
Rating:
Summary: one of the most perfect profund books ever written
Review: the life of O take a complete turn one day when her lover takes her to a castel out of town where she's thought to be the perfect sexual toy for him and a secreat society he's in connection to. her life become fully controled by the desiers of others. mainly, sir steven who's an english gentelman and a good freind of her lover. the story follows O's new life to their extreameties until it reach the tragic ending of the book. it's not the kind of erotic's novels such as ann rice's that goes for a turn on realistic or reality based situation, if you are looking for a cheap thrill this is not the place to find it. in this book, lays one of the most complex mathapore to many of the issues that ocupies the mind of people, sex, love, violence, religion, the power exchange between people, the place of a person in it's life and so on. it uses sex and SM as an imagery to explore philosofical and emotional topic in one of the most interesting and creative ways i have ever came across. in a very clinical and detouched way, the autor gives a full acount of the smallest events that happening to her, and what kepet from becomming aroused by it while reading, made me see more of the emotional backround of the novel. O's anonimisity (you almost never hear of her emotions and feeling and sensation, only an outside report of the things that are done to her) made me see the O that is in me, as i read the book i became her, it was a very intence reading experience. i find it still very stimulating book to read, on a physical as well as an intelectual level, i think that everyone who's interested in SM fiction, or just looking to read a really profound book should read this.
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