The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty audiobook

First off: Are reviewers here doing their job when reading? Aren't we supposed to abandon our preconceptions when opening a book? On that note, this is one of those books. In order to fully enjoy it, I have some recommendations:1) This series IS NOT EROTICA. This is full blown pornography. If we define erotica as the mere suggestion of the sex act, whereas pornography comprises descriptive and graphic depictions of sex scenes, then this book is pornography. And, if your religious, republican, right-wing, or "bug-crawled-up-your-arse" sensibilities are easily offended by pornography, then this book is not for you and you should refrain from reviewing it. 2) On that note, this book deals with the BDSM (Bondage and Sado Masochism)brand of sex. If you're not even curious about it, refrain from reading and reviewing this book. If you're not open to freeing your mind or opening it a bit to other possibilities, by all means, refrain from reading at all, and just go to your farm.3) This book deals witha fairy tale, namely Sleeping Beauty, but it touches upon other fairy tale archetypes, namely the Arabian Nights. It doesn't deal with history, real or fictionalized, and it should never be read as such.Having dispersed some doubts, let me now proceed to make my point. The author cleverly aims to bisexualize the reader. The scenes depicted in the books are either heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual or homosexual. There are other practices, such as dildo utilisation, fisting, ben wa balls, as well as a "garden of torture" meant to teach imprudent slaves. The dregrees of torture range from slapping the buttocks to public gang bangs. The narrator tells us that the raison d'etre behind this feast of flesh, vaginal juices and cum, is to humilliate the would-be rulers of the world, humanize them into becoming wise. As a man who has been at the receiving end of responsible BDSM, I can attest to the truth of these words. Humility is a value that has been lost to many movements, namely the Illustration, it was rescued again by the Romantics, honoured by the Modernists and altogether dropped by Postmodernists. And some feminists, mainly ultrafeminists, in their quest for egalitarian power, also forgot about it. The series is not about a woman who is taught the arts of the flesh and how to command. The story is about a woman who revels in serving others, even while being a highborn princess. In that sense, this series rivals Machiavelli's "Il Principe", inasmuch as the story spins around the teaching of how to properly serve the people. That is wisdom. And in that sense, this series can even be read as a political treatise. So, if you're a woman bored with your life, sick of being a maid, in search of becoming a maneater, this book is definitely not for you. It is on a whole other level. However, if you're willing to delve into the most traumatic process of skin delayering, until you see the darkest and most beautiful part of the human soul in a character, then you've come to the right place. Some parts of the books are brutal, some even downright violent. Yet there is a beauty in the whole process of becoming less in order to be more that is enticing and even healthy -in the long run- for the soul.

If you're looking for a good BDSM fiction, this is it. Otherwise - stay away. And I mean it!!! BDSM is an acquired taste and if you're not really into it, you'll find the book repulsive.Now, if you're into love games and are fascinated by mild (or not so mild) pain in an erotic setting - you've got the right book. The fairytale, Sleeping Beauty, is used merely as a starting point, the story goes off on a tangent within the first few pages and then we're taken into the neighbouring kingdom with all its twisted customs. The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is well planned out, with the right amount of plot, sex and romance. Much easier to get through than Interview with the vampire (which I found long and tiresome though inspiring too), from which I gather that Ann Rice got better skilled at expressing her thoughts. And boy, are those some sick thoughts! Makes sense that this was published this under a pen name. The subject matter is so extreme (not Bataille extreme, but still rather out there, even in comparison to her vampire books, which weren't all that well behaved either). Thanks for that Ann Rice, you perv, I really enjoyed it! Devoured this book in 3 short bursts.

My Proper ReviewOkay what to say, what to say?Honestly I'm pretty shy to review this book, just bear with me and my random shenanigans. Okay so I'll just assume that people who are reading this book review are 18 years old and above. Please if you're below 18, stop reading this and do something else.Moving on, the reason I read this book is merely out of curiosity. But my first encounter with the idea of BDSM was last year(I'm not going to explain the definition of BDSM, if you haven't heard of it, please search it on wikipedia) when I've read Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward which was the fifth book in her The Black Dagger Brotherhood series. When I've first read about it, I pretty much like it, the idea of "BDSM" and actually I think it was also last year when my friend IRL have a VCD about BDSM and we watched it. So at first I was hesitant to watch it but having read the book Lover Unbound I was curious to know how does it look like IRL. After watching it I was surprised and scared like shit because it's not how I imagined it would be. Idk how to describe it but the video was weird, grotesque, ugly, with their terrifying apparatus and what not and I was more like angry while watching it. I didn't like it at all.So that's why I'm expecting that I'll not even finish reading this book because of that past experience and pretty much I have so many dear GR friends who have rated this book 1 star.So this is what happens, I read it, and I can pretty much say that I hated it at first. The first scene in this book was actually a rape scene. The premise was copied from the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty and of course the princess was curse and she was in a state of deep sleep. And in order to wake up the princess and lift the curse, a prince must kissed her.So yeah the prince came and he doesn't just kissed Beauty. He like slashed off her night gown using his sword and then he rape her and then after that he kissed her. So Beauty was finally free from the curse and I think she immediately felt a connection with the prince who have saved her.The first part was shocking and confusing for me because when I think about a prince like this one (Sorry Prince Caspian for putting you on this one)okay as I'm saying when you think of princes it should not be like this one in this book because the prince just raped the princess and he doesn't want the princess to have any clothes on. He just wanted her naked all the time. And he even paraded the princess body to the crowd and he even post her and tied her and then he called out an old man to touch her breast etc.So yeah WTH right?Yeah I was pissed off at first because this is unbelievably absurd but as I got halfway through reading it. I began to understand the story fully. When the prince arrived at their castle and then you'll be introduced with different sex slaves in the castle. And then I started to surmise that the rules of their kingdom was different from the norm.So sex slavery and BDSM was the norm in their kingdom. Even princes and princesses were considered as sex slaves. They must submit to their masters etc. And they have the structure like when you're a sex slave you'll be given groom and a page and there are different punishments if you rebel or just to test you. And there are also different sex games I guess that you need to do in order to please your master.That's when the story got really interesting because I felt like everything that I considered weird at the first half of the book was slowly explained here. And then I love the fact that the sex slaves in this book have different personalities and way of thinking or handling the situations they are into. I just really like it because as I was reading it I felt their emotions, frustrations etc. It was really thought provoking and for me I just realize many things like how can violence especially if it's sexual affect people's perspective about themselves and also about hopelessness and acceptance and yielding.I think that this is a great book actually if you're just open minded and look at it in a different perspective and not just looking at it with you know sex and everything.And also the writing was superb and I really like Anne Rice's choice of words. She kind of remind me of Judith McNaught novels with added dark side and erotica flavor on it. Definitely recommended and I can say that this is definitely a "Classic" of the Erotica Genre. _____________________________________________***I'll post my in-depth review tomorrow.***Note:Okay so I just finished the book and I really like it. I'm surprised and a bit shock, idk what else to say right now but it actually was written very fluidly and solidly. At first I don't get the plot at all but as I was reading it, the plot got deeper and I like the fact that I actually sympathize with the sex slaves in this book. The feeling was tormenting and scary and thought provoking I think. I just gave it four stars because the ending felt empty for me. However I'll still read the next one.I'd really recommend this book if you're an open minded person and you can tolerate reading a book with too much BDSM on it. Just don't expect this book to be romantic. There's nothing romantic in this book to be honest with you. Sleeping Beauty was treated more like a sex toy rather than a princess in this book.

If not taken too seriously, this book is a hilarous romp. Fairy tales are a study in extremes, and The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is no exception. From sensual and savory to dastardly and disgusting, this erotic retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" offers a little bit of everything (along with laughable words like mound, organ, and pubis as well as a wearying amount of spanking; good heavens, so much spanking!). Anne Rice explains in the preface that she embarked on a mission to write an erotic novel with sexual content on nearly every page - one that explores the sexual aspects of vulnerability, degredation, humiliation, and subjugation - and she absolutely delivers.

This is a scrumptious sexual feast from Anne Rice, writing under a pseudonym. It picks up the Sleeping Beauty tale from the moment the Prince kisses her and spins a three-book saga of what happens next. Beauty is whisked off to the Prince's kingdom, but discovers that before she can marry him, she must follow the laws of his land and do as the other princes and pricesses do. That is, she must surrender to several years of humiliating sado-masochistic sexual servitude at the hands of the aristocracy and become a sex slave! If she passes this test, she will be allowed to marry the Prince and regain her royal status. This book is like porn. You don't need to read it cover to cover. The chapters are written from the points of view of Beauty and her male friends. Each chapter contains a delicious sex scene, and most are GAY! The chapters written from the perspective of Beauty's male friends are so astoundingly graphic I remember them to this day. In one, the hot prince Laurent is forced to become a "pony" after misbehaving. He and the other ponys must run around the village fully naked all day, linked to a carriage with harnesses, and sporting dildos with horsetails attached. If they ever lose their erections, the "ponys" are severly whipped, but they must never try to alleviate their boners by brushing against one another. Thus they spend their days in excruciating blue-balled agony until the special day when they are set loose inside a walled-in garden and allowed an hour to spend themselves. The ensuing orgy of dangerously horny ponies is a wonder to behold.

Warning - ADULT CONTENTThis book was really my introduction into Erotica and is definitely an eye opener. I agree with one of the other reviewers in that this is so well written by Anne Rice (Pen Name A. N. Roquelaure) that you may be ruined for other Erotica - I was.This book basically picks up on the fairy tale where the Prince awakens Sleeping Beauty with a... He then takes her back to his kingdom where she is basically a slave along with many others that are being groomed for nobility. The BDSM life that they lead there is basically a rite of passage for most before they become full noble men and women. A kind of finishing school, if you will. This book is the introduction to a series of three books. It really initiates you into the fantasy. Spankings and various other acts that you wouldn't necessarily dream up on your own abound... You must be able to completely give yourself over to the fantasy - leave your inhibitions and women's empowerment at the door and enjoy.

I reread this recently for a local book group. I originally gave it a lower rating, but with age I have come to appreciate a bit more about this book.First of all, it's an erotica book unto itself. The language is oddball, the world is complete fantasy, and it's grossly politically incorrect by today's standards. I think if this was published today she would have had to make all the "princes" and "princesses" at least 18 years of age, etc, etc.With that said, this book did it for me. What that means is, I masturbated my pants off. I masturbated to this book probably more frequently than I have for any other book. Maybe that's TMI...if so I'm sorry. But we all know we read these books to get hot so I doubt anyone is scandalized. But LITERALLY it was a stroke fest, and weirdly when I first read this twenty years ago, it was the same way.But back then I didn't appreciate this for what it was...a very authentic exploration of the complexities and pleasures of power exchange. The whole world in this book is sex, and Roquelaure/Rice plays very deftly with shifting power and the very essence of submission. As a submissive person myself I was fascinated by the parts about letting go, about yielding and allowing yourself to be broken. I loved how the slaves were not mindless vessels but all had their own inner power or that thing that set them apart. Princess Lynette, Prince Alexi, Prince Tristan, even Beauty. The dominant characters were also shown with foibles, which made them more interesting than perfect, rigid masters.I loved the hopelessness and dread of it all, and the constant, constant, CONSTANT paddling, fucking (and anal raping, once you get to Alexi's part of the book.) Did I mention the CONSTANT PADDLING? But what can I say, it all gets me hot.I wouldn't read this book with some great hopes for a storyline or message (hence the four stars rather than five), but if you just want to visit a mystical, lyrical, paddle-filled world where you will read the word "buttocks" continuously and probably masturbate furiously, then this is your book. I think I'm going to have to suck up the price and buy ecopies of book 2 and 3 also. My paper books disintegrated many years ago...

as of 2 weeks ago i finished this book and moved on to the second novel: Beauty's Punishment. sooo naughty but written with a woman's voice and perspective. i kind of wish i could get a sense of a real dominating and submissive male voice- however, it still turned me on bigtime!yay! i attended a naughty toy party and as a bonus, my friend lent me the 1st and 2nd volumes of this series. naughty toys and naughty reading go soooo well together ;-)

I’ve read this book multiple times over the past twenty years. I reread it recently in order to prepare this review, and it’s taken me a few days to crystallize my thoughts about this book. First, I want to remark on how well it’s held up in the three decades (!) since its release. The writing is still as fresh and accessible (and HOT) as it was the first time I cracked it open as a teenager in that crowded B Dalton all those years ago. The description, the emotion, and the lust still jump off the page. It still disturbs and fascinates in equal measure. It’s a remarkable, incredible book … but it’s definitely not for everyone. Not by a long shot.Ms. Rice, writing as A.N. Roquelaure, gets things started with a, er, bang, with the opening sequence of the Prince’s claiming of the eponymous Beauty. This scene is not only incredibly brave (it takes guts to write fantasy this unflinchingly), but it’s so true to the animal, primal nature of the sexual fantasies this book not only explores, but embraces. Is sexual fantasy “safe”? Is it politically correct? The answer is of course, ‘no’, and this book both acknowledges this fact, and affirms the truth of the untameable, ever hungering nature of our sexual fantasies and desires. In its own understated way, this book is a subtle, yet emphatic refutation of the ridiculous notion that sexual fantasies and desires need to be safely within bounds, or even worse, politically correct. Does it make the reader uncomfortable at times? Of course. Does the line between “right” and “wrong” sometimes become blurred? Absolutely. But such is human nature; the complexities of sexual desire are not at all sunshine and rainbows, and the deeper needs and urges that drive sexual desire are sometimes simply inexplicable … and there are more than a few of us who like it that way just fine:)Many have faulted Ms. Rice for overwrought or flowery writing here, but I’ve never understood this criticism. I’ve read a LOT of erotic romance, erotica (which this story definitely is), and just plain porn, and I found the writing in this story to be not only comparatively spare, but refreshingly direct. Rice manages to be supremely literary, yet does so in a prose style that is so very accessible and devastatingly effective in stirring the passions of the reader. She knows exactly where she wants to go here -- and she knows how to get the reader there. To read this book -- regardless of your particular reaction to the content -- is to witness a writer at the top of her form, with a stunning command of language, and an enviable facility with description, and the eliciting of emotion. The characters here, more than the plot (which itself is straightforward), are simply fascinating. Ms. Rice is content to paint most of the characters with broad, only selectively distinct strokes, and allow the reader the time, the opportunity, to fill in those negative spaces. It’s something I wish more writers would do, for it’s not only more thought-provoking, but it is (in my humble opinion) much more respectful of the reader; many of us do not in fact need everything spelled out for us. Where she does delve into more detailed character studies, her subjects are both unexpected and riveting. The character of Beauty (for the narrative stays with her POV for most of the book) is almost a sort of unwilling guide through this at once familiar, yet alien world of the kingdom of Queen Eleanor. The book does, as a whole, center on Beauty’s journey, but there are several other characters whose stories are just as vital, and perhaps moreso, to the overarching theme of the book. It’s through some of these other characters, particularly the sympathetic, almost martyr-like figure of Prince Alexi, that Rice explores the complexities of human emotion, sexuality, and the mysterious deeper motivations of human beings. But it’s in the character of Queen Eleanor that we find the dark, beating heart of this story. Her influence is everywhere, whether she’s physically present in a scene or not. At once frightening and alluring, she’s a perfect example of the dichotomy, even paradox, so often found in the origins of human sexual desires. Is she an evil woman, corrupted by power, determined to ruthlessly exert it over all she surveys? Or is she much more complex? A woman uniquely equipped to explore and revel in not only her own sexual desires, but the desires she suspects lurk, in one form or another, within most of us. Ms. Rice gives us hints, suggestions, but never answers these questions. As much I love that Queen Eleanor was written in this open-ended, even mysterious way, so many tantalizing, even profound questions are raised when it comes to her character. I know it’s a fool’s hope (my impression is that Ms. Rice never intends to revisit this world again), but I would so very much love to read more background on the Kingdom, and especially how Eleanor came to be the person she is depicted as here in this story. As for the content of this book, readers need to be warned: there is almost every permutation of sexuality and BDSM that you can think of here. I’ve seen the descriptor ‘pansexual’ used in other reviews, and I think that’s a reasonable approximation of what you’ll find here. But that word doesn’t quite do this book justice, because though the varieties of sexual coupling are myriad, I think the general theme of the book is anything but pansexual. This is a book about the deeper meaning, the dichotomy, of sexual desire in the context of Dominance and submission, pain and pleasure, and much more subtly (though no less powerfully), love and hate. There is corporal punishment galore here, largely in the form of paddling, and though some reviewers fault the pervasive nature of it, it is not in fact in every scene, and does actually make sense where it’s depicted. There is dubious consent, and non consent aplenty, and if the general idea of enforced sexual slavery for a period of multiple years is offensive to you, then you need to run away from this one, and quickly. If you are averse to the depiction of female/female and male/male sexuality, you’re going to have a tough time with this one. Yes, the sex depicted is primarily heterosexual, but there is considerable same sex content as well. I had some trouble initially with the male/male content, but I kept an open mind about it, and though personally not my thing, I was able to see how it actually added to the narrative, and helped tell the story of these characters that you cannot help but care about.If you are a person with a kinky bent, I would say this is indispensable reading; I can’t think of any single work of BDSM erotica, save perhaps Story of O, that I would recommend all kinky people read. I would say one can read this book both to see what you do like and to help determine what you don’t like. This is not only an excellent, even important, work of erotic fantasy, but in my opinion it’s a fascinating, insightful study of the human condition -- what we desire, what we fear, and what deep down drives us all. Very highly recommended.

This is definitely not a book anyone under 18 years old should be reading. I had no idea Anne Rice could be so dark! I haven't read The Vampire Chronicles so this was my first taste of what Anne Rice has to offer. And I am hooked! On my copy, it says this is for lovers of 50 Shades . Pffft, 50 Shades looks like Disney compared to this book. Yeah, it's THAT intense. Basically this is a pretty loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The beginning is somewhat Sleeping Beauty. A prince finds Beauty sleeping in her decrepit kingdom for hundreds of years. Except, the prince doesn't wake her with a kiss. Beauty is woken into a world of seduction, desire and love. This book is dark. It's about the most innate feeling we feel as humans. pleasure. We live our lives to please ourselves. This book explores that pleasure in many different and dark ways and what us humans would do to gain that pleasure.This isn't for the faint of heart. The things that are talked about are described in the most detailed way. Nothing is left to wonder. You get everything. So if you are sensitive to super sexual natures, do not read this book or this series. But if you are curious about how Anne Rice spins the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty, then this is the book for you. I know that I will be ordering the second book soon and hopefully the rest of the series soon after that. I am hooked and I am curious to see just how dark Anne Rice can make Sleeping Beauty.

Sleeping Beauty was not awoken with a kiss. Story of O, eat your heart out! I admit my daughter woke me up at 3.30am today and had trouble settling back down, so instead of attempting sleep between noises I finished this little gem. Smoothly written, easy to read erotica, yes, but somehow passionless with plenty of bondage, degradation, non-consensual acts and punishment. There is so much of it that it does become tedious in places, "spanking, again?". It is a deviant little world that has been created, and one wonders if anyone in the land has heard of the missionary position.

After a debating with myself for awhile, I finally decided to sit down and write a recommendation for this series. My hesitance comes from knowing that these books is not for everyone. This is one of those book series that people either love and treasure or hate with a fiery passion. Don't believe me, check the other reviews for them. While it is still one of my all time favorite erotic fantasy series, I feel compelled to warn anyone interested in reading these books to be aware that they are not romance or even remotely like any erotica you have ever read. These book take place in a fantasy world without limitations or consequences. If you have any issues with portrayals of abuse or sexual violence these are not the books for you. The opening scene of the book involves Beauty being “ravished” (a fancy term for non-consensual sex aka rape). Here is a list of a few of the kinks portrayed in these books: sexual slavery, extreme domination, pain play, pony play, public humiliation, spanking (LOTS of spanking), piss play, enemas, fisting and so much more. Now, if I haven’t scared you off let’s get on with the actual recommendation.The books take place in a lavish, fairy tale world where BDSM kink is interwoven into the culture of a powerful kingdom. It is customary for princes and princess from all across the land to be sent to this kingdom to serve as sex slaves in order to teach them discipline and to better prepare them to be strong, empathetic rulers. Beauty is awaken from her enchanted slumber by the prince of this kingdom. He literally wakes her up with sex, by penetrating her at the same time he kisses her and that pretty much sets the tone for the books. One of the things I love about the books is the lush fairy tale style in which the story is told. It allows the reader to slip into its reality, despite all the extreme situations. As my warnings at the beginning indicate there is no kinky ground left uncovered in the pages of this series. In the kingdom sexual slaves are part of everyday life. I do mean every part. From the stables, to the kitchen of a common tavern. Beauty sees other beautiful princes and princess naked, like herself, being made to carry buckets with their mouths and pulling carriages while dressed up like horses. The slaves placement in society is either an honor to their obedience or a punishment for their failure to perform to expectations. Every aspect of their culture is influenced by the dominance, and submissive dynamics. Punishment is meted out in forms of public humiliation and degradation, while rewards are given in sexual play. Because this is a sadomasochistic society pain and pleasure our intertwined, whether it is reward, punishment or just daily life every breath is filled with sexual sting of erotic torture. The slaves’ nude bodies are decorated with elaborately bejeweled sex toys (buttplugs, nipple clamps and even a weighted clit clamp contraption that to this day still makes me shudder with horror). The purpose of all of it is to keep the slaves aware of what they are and to keep them in a constant state of sexual arousal.With these details the books continues to weave an intricate world that allows the reader to fall deeper under its spell. That is not to say that we become desensitized to what is happening. In fact, that is one of the most clever strokes of Rice’s storytelling. We, the readers, are anchored to our own sense of discomfort, shock and taboo titillation through the conduit of Beauty. Her naiveté, confusion and fear helps keep us grounded, but it also allows for a deeper exploration of erotism of these scenes.I love how even when Beauty is crying through her spanking or blushing over exposing her body to other people she is aware of her own arousal, even though she too innocent to truly understand it until later on in the story. Her body's’ reactions are described in details that are easy for the reader to grasp, while still maintaining lavish atmosphere of the story. It is a impressive trick to describe a female bodies' various states of arousal with such graphic detail, while never resorting to crude modern language. Those details allow the reader to truly experience what Beauty does in a very intimate way and that is the key to what is so captivating about these books. Even though the story is told in the third person, the reader is deeply attuned to Beauty. We travel with her through this foreign kingdom, being shocked and at times horrified by the extreme displays of erotic torture and surprising forms of sexual play laid out in public for all to see. As she comes to understand, though in the beginning she feels humiliated by it, her own body's reaction to all of it.As the series progresses and Beauty begins to learn more about the sensual world she has been plunged into. We see her character slowly transform into a thoughtful, courageous and bold young woman. Who is deeply in touch with her own desires and is brave enough to help others explore their sexual boundaries too. So too is the reader allowed to embrace their own arousal over the sensual scenarios and come to a place of understanding the boundaries of their own desires. Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty series was published thirty years ago, but it is a timeless erotica classic that is still capturing readers imaginations and fueling their sexual fantasies today. It became a classic not because of ad campaigns or the trendy taboo of "mommy porn." In fact, Anne Rice originally published the book under a pseudonym to avoid damaging her already successful career as an author of her famous vampire horror series. In 1983 gay, vampire rock-n-roll singers weren't nearly as taboo as women exploring BDSM fantasies. Yet these books flourished on little more than consumer curiosity and word of mouth. I myself was given my first copy of The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by my best friend, who stole it from his older sister. He wrapped it in a paper bag and slipped into my backpack like it was a package of illicit drugs. After I read the first chapter I was high on my first taste of erotica. Despite the many years that have passed since the first time I read the books, I still find them deeply entertaining and erotic. While many readers struggle with the content and worry about the themes, all of which are valid issues and should be discussed. I think it’s important for all women to allow themselves to fantasize without judgement or shame. These books represent an extreme side of erotic fantasies, but still a very valid one. If you're feeling brave and want to explore the boundaries of your own sexual fantasies, especially if those involve dominance and submission, pleasure and pain and a variety of extreme kinks that would even the most seasoned of erotica readers than these just might be the books for you.

You can never un-read this book. As a youth (age 20) I attempted to read it at a lover's prompting. It's the only book I have ever thrown across the room...several times. The strong female in me chafed against the seemingly barbaric dominance of the prince and the high court. Even more disturbing was that, although my mind rebelled against every new torture, my body reacted hotly with erotic lust.I had to find a copy...I don't really want to read it again, but I want the symbol of my growth and history sitting on my bookshelf. If you ever think that sex is boring, read this. You will come to find that what most people do is not real bondage, it is just normal sex with a few ropes. This book will push your boundaries...Book two was so-so...I never made it through book three. It seemed recycled...dancing on the boundaries that had already been crossed again and again.

A bdsm fairytale of Anne Rice, in which she expectingly used a pseudonym as it was released well before the time these issues were accepted. This fairytale character of the book allows the author to leave her imagination free and to write without the limitations of the need for realism. As a result, much of the book has the bdsm's violent sensuality but is included in a more mild atmosphere without much psychological analysis. This point I can say is that I particularly liked as, having been accustomed to such readings, these images of measured violent sensuality did not bother me but, on the contrary, were very enjoyable to me and created in my mind a very sensual atmosphere. Part of the enjoyment is naturally due to the very nice writing of the book, which, despite the erotic theme, never turns to vulgarity. But, from one point onwards, this atmosphere becomes darker, as these images of violent sensuality are gradually being replaced by images of physical and psychological abuse that definitely upset the reader and completely destroy this sensual atmosphere of the book. So in the end I'm not sure what conclusion I have to make out of what I read. It's a delightfully sensual book on the one hand and annoying on the other, so I have to rate it in the middle, but something pushes me to put something more.Ένα bdsm παραμύθι από την Anne Rice που αναμενόμενα χρησιμοποίησε ψευδώνυμο καθώς κυκλοφόρησε πολύ πριν από την εποχή που αυτά τα θέματα έγιναν αποδεκτά. Αυτός ο παραμυθένιος χαρακτήρας του βιβλίου επιτρέπει στη συγγραφέα να αφήσει τη φαντασία της ελεύθερη και να γράψει χωρίς τους περιορισμούς της ανάγκης για ρεαλισμό. Αυτό έχει ως αποτέλεσμα σε μεγάλο μέρος του βιβλίου να υπάρχει ο βίαιος αισθησιασμός του bdsm αλλά να εντάσσεται σε μία περισσότερο ελαφριά ατμόσφαιρα, χωρίς πολλές ψυχολογικές αναλύσεις. Αυτό το σημείο μπορώ να πω ότι μου άρεσε ιδιαίτερα καθώς έχοντας συνηθίσει σε ανάλογα αναγνώσματα αυτές οι εικόνες μετρημένου βίαιου αισθησιασμού δεν με ενόχλησαν αλλά, αντιθέτως, μου ήταν ιδιαίτερα απολαυστικές και δημιούργησαν στο μυαλό μου μία ιδιαίτερα αισθησιακή ατμόσφαιρα. Μέρος της απόλαυσης οφείλεται φυσικά στην πολύ ωραία γραφή του βιβλίου, που, παρά το ερωτικό θέμα, δεν στρέφεται ποτέ προς τη χυδαιότητα. Βέβαια από ένα σημείο και μετά αυτή η ατμόσφαιρα γίνεται πιο σκοτεινή, καθώς αυτές οι εικόνες βίαιου αισθησιασμού αντικαθιστώνται σταδιακά με εικόνες σωματικής και ψυχολογικής κακοποίησης που σίγουρα ταράζουν τον αναγνώστη και καταστρέφουν εντελώς αυτήν την αισθησιακή ατμόσφαιρα του βιβλίου. Οπότε στο τέλος δεν είμαι σίγουρος τι συμπέρασμα πρέπει να βγάλω από αυτό που διάβασα. Είναι ένα βιβλίο απολαυστικά αισθησιακό από τη μία και ενοχλητικό από την άλλη, για αυτό πρέπει να το βαθμολογήσω στη μέση, κάτι με σπρώχνει, όμως, να βάλω κάτι παραπάνω.