Customer Reviews

Nothing Natural

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I received this book from a friend and...actually, I'm glad, because this subject is somewhat intriguing and now I have a decent glimpse of it. "Nothing Natural" is about a 30-ish woman, Rachel, who gets involved in a sado-masochistic relationship. Oh yeah, it's also about how Rachel struggles to exist in a world without getting emotionally close to anyone!

In terms of style, Jenny Diski writes very clearly, simply and bluntly. Her sex scenes are so stark, they're quite a turn-on. In terms of the story however, I formed opinions about Rachel's character early on, and the author pretty much validated my opinions halfway through. The character of Pete, a social service case of Rachel's, presented a promising story in which I hoped would be the experience that would help Rachel grow and progress into a whole person, but that was not so. After that, she went into a huge depression, and that section really dragged for me. Diski could have written that in about half as many pages. In the end, she half-heartedly, but successfully, took a step towards doing away with a self-destructive fantasy, facing life in all its convoluted, complicated and messy splendor.

For me I guess the problem would be that I didn't really like Rachel...she annoyed me after a while. That's not to say that she wasn't a complicated person with a whole mess of "issues." However, this was a really interesting look into the reality of a truly sado-masochistic relationship. It made me wonder, or rather, it answered the question of whether or someone would be able to truly separate sex from emotional attachment. Furthermore, would someone be able to separate a sexual fantasy from sexual reality? From the looks of it, it's not easy!

I found this to be a powerful book that delved deeply into the life of a woman named Rachel who becomes involved in a sadomasochistic relationship with an emotionally distant man. Initially I felt the title referred to this s&m relationship. However, as the author reveals more of Rachel's life, it appears that there is nothing natural in her emotionally starved world. Her parents fought bitterly when she was a child. She struggles with paralyzing spells of depression and is incapable of emotional closeness. She is delightfully articulate and quick witted - an intelligent woman with a large share of emotional distress. We watch her spiraling deeper into a suicidal state and it takes a strong reader to maintain compassion. Finally her darkest hour passes, and the novel ends with her first steps towards a healthier self concept. Compelling reading and wonderful character development - a great first novel.