Customer Reviews

The 43rd Mistress: A Sensual Odyssey

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Grant Antrews breaks the mold again, this time with a semi-autobiographical BDSM erotic novel with accounts of his most stirring enounters with a dominatrix. What makes these accounts unique is that the point of view is the submissive's, rather than a narrator's, and the focus is on the sub's state of mind and thoughts: the physical experiences serve as the framework for the mental experience, just as is the case in real BDSM. Part I is a multi-chapter account of a *single* session, from the initial contact and anticipation to an intense climax, and a quasi-philosophical denouement. I couldn't put it down! Part II is a series of chapters, each an account of a formative experience which led to the growth of a male submissive's identity, from childhood to an account of how revelation of his masochism to his wife of 20 years ultimately led to acceptance and the basis of a renewed and intensified love. Again, what's most gripping is the account of his thoughts, which brought me to tears of recognition in spots. If you're a submissive (especially a male one), or if you want to understand the mind of one, this is required reading. If you want to find out why the popular cultural stereotypes of BDSM are so wrong, this book will help you understand.

The 43rd Mistress is a powerful, vivid, impressively written novel relating the journey through personal agony and transcendence by a middle-aged, successful, sexually fetished businessman. What the reader is treated to is an unexpected, articulate, erotic, often witty perspective by a masculine man submissive to dominant and dominating women. Recommended for adult readers with an interest in erotic masochism and human sexuality.

It is quite likely that those that buy this book may relate to the protagonist/author more than they would other books within this genre. Andrews comes clean with his own tale (peppered no doubt with literary flourish and tittilating enhancements). A family man with a passion for submission; Andrews's hero moves from professional Dominitrix to Dominitrix in search of the next big jolt. (Those engaged in the BDSM lifestyle may bristle at the self-serving process of securing an appointment with a Professional. The fantasies of the submissive are catered to at an hourly rate).

As a form of entertainment, the 43rd Mistress delivers quite effectively. Those seeking any particular insight as to the plight of a man who must hide private desires from his wife will be most likely disappointed. The varied "scenes" within this book are captured with great attention to detail and emotion. The Dommes are exquisite in their beauty and expertise.

Like the process of seeing ProDommes itself, this book is a selfish pleasure that caters to the fantasies of the reader. Those that are seeking more depth had best look at novels where the desires of the Dom/mme are catered to... and not the other way around.

There is eroticism, angst, desire and complete submission described within, but all internally. Initially, I could not put the book down nor did I want to. As I continued to read on, I found it full of fantasies of a man who obviously wants to be desired. A man who wishes women grow weak in the knees at the mere thought of him being punished.

In his daily conquests, he describes women who are almost stumbling over with desire and interest in him. This does not seem realistic to me. It seems that the author wants to make himself feel desired for having such "naughty" fantasies, as opposed to moving on to the core of the story. I don't want to know that all these different women wanted to know, or got excited knowing he was going to see a Domme. I want to know how he felt, what he did to prepare, and so on. I understand that he deals with daily life bored and unfulfilled. I also understand that it is a story filled with fantasy. However, a lot of people do practice or act out such fantasies in real life and they are not necessarily attractive, good looking or desired by every female (or male) they come accross. They are everyday people, whether attached or not, whose desires go beyond what is considered norm to most.

The sensations he described are phenomenal...however the path to getting there, or his daily situations are uninteresting and unfulfilling. Good book if you want to know "what may happen" bad if you want to be "realistic."

I think that this is one of the best books that I have read describing the experience of the submissive male in the world of spanking and S/M. The first section of the book is stronger than the second. The description of the author's mental journey to prepare for his visit with the dominatrix as well as his thoughts throughout the experience is moving and enlightening. I hope that we see more works from Grant Andrews/Antrews. All his other books seem to be out of print. Mr. Andrews - if you could indicate in your author information whether these novels will be re-published and available - or an email address, it would be very helpful.

This book delves into the thoughts of the author, a male submissve who has two lives. His one life as a successful businessman, and his other more "secret" life as a male submissive who on occasion seeks out the services of "pro Dommes" to cater to his fantasies. It's interesting in the book how he seems to somehow "balance them out," for weeks on end having to put out numerous "forest fires" on the job, and then submitting to "cruel Mistresses" on the side. Further adding to this strain is the fact that his wife whom he loves deeply doesn't understand his need.

The highly intense scenes described in this book are done so with great care and detail, with Dommes as beautiful as they are cruel. After having read this book, I gained more of an understanding of the desires that submissive men carry and how this male sub (ie the author) deals with them. A fascinating read for anyone interested in erotic power exchange.

This book is very good - but the first part is much better than the second half of the book. Really an excellent read for those interested in domination and submission - but my advice is to read only Book 1 and skip Book 2.

in the world of sexual submission and masochism via the services of professional dominants. That is the first part of this novel from Grant Antrews. It is a detailed account of Jeremiah's arranging a session with a professional dominant and then the session itself. This is a well-written piece of fiction. However the second part of the novel is less well structured. It jumps back and forth between time periods in Jeremiah's life without clear markers either in the form of dates or verb tenses or even clear signal words until paragraphs into a chapter. This second part is more about this one man's past and how it affects his vanilla marriage until it becomes something inline with his desires. The emotions are especially raw in part two and while I can't say I like Jeremiah as a person I can say I understood him a bit better by the novel's end.

In most cases the nature of sexual fetish is the intense focus on what turns the fetishist on, be it shoes, panties or spanking. In the case of the author of "The 43rd Mistress" his turn-on is humiliation and intense beatings. The humiliation involves being "forced" to wear panties and womens lingerie, enemas other other forms of humiliating submission.

As long as a fetish does not harm others, I have no criticisms to level. However, the problem with reading a book that puts you inside someone else's fetish is that if you don't share the fetish it can become boring and unpleasant. This was definitely my experience with the book.

As with most fetish fiction, the plot is implausable, even though the the author draws from his own experience. For example, the author constantly runs into women who are intensely turned on by the idea of his submission and corporal punishment at the hands of his dominatrix. Yet his own wife is "not into it". One has the feeling that part of the charge the character in the book gets from visiting a dominatrix and being humiliated is the covert sneaking around. This does not make him a very pleasant person. Another feature about the central character that I find strange is that he not only submits to humiliation in his sexual life but his profession life as well by working for bosses who treat him in ways that I would find unacceptable. In the end I'm left with the feeling that the character/author has little pride, self-esteeme or perhaps even honor.

For those who are in-sync with the author and find that the same things make their blood burn, this may be an erotic book. But it had no erotic charge for me. There was also no insight into the root of the main character/author's fetish. There is an unlikely digression into childhood, which is obviously just fantasy.

So in summary I can't recommend this book. The writing and plotting are poor. The author is intently focused on his fetish and has no insight into himself (or at least none that he could express in the book). Those who enjoy milder forms of S&M (e.g., spanking) will not enjoy this book much. The author is a "heavy bottom". He describes his humiliation in loving detail, but the spankings and canings he receives seem to be painful, not sensual.