Obsession: An Erotic Tale [Hardcover]

Gloria Vanderbilt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2009

The marriages of desire . . .

From the multitalented and versatile Gloria Vanderbilt comes a passionate, sensual, witty, and puzzling tale of erotic obsession, beauty, and revenge, told in tandem by two women obsessed with the same man—and, ultimately, with each other.

Talbot Bingham is a renowned architectural genius who, with his formidable wife, Priscilla, creates an architectural community. When he dies unexpectedly in the middle of their tenth wedding anniversary celebration, the devastated Priscilla is left keeper of the flame of Talbot's genius. Going through her husband's archives, she comes unexpectedly upon a pile of neatly tied letters, and the shocking secret of her husband's intimate life—a discovery that shatters the foundation of her soul and spirit.

Obsession explores the mysteries of the human heart and the nature of sexuality and obsession, provoking questions about whom we choose to love, and why. The reader is left to decide if the other woman represents another facet of Priscilla, or if Priscilla her-self has invented the other woman who completed the world her husband so recently inhabited?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Vanderbilt—socialite, artiste and pioneer of designer jeans—dips into the realm of spanking, thrusting, creaming and opening as a flower toward the sun with this dressed-up pulp erotica tale—Chip Kidd designed the striking cover, which features white-haired mannequins that (a certain type of person might be inclined to conclude) slightly resemble the host of CNN's AC360. After renowned architect Talbot Bingham dies, his widow, Priscilla, designates their Maryland estate (of all our estates it was the one I loved most) as a museum. In going through Talbot's papers there, Priscilla discovers letters from a woman calling herself Queen Bee that describe a physical passion utterly foreign to Pris. Repulsed and fascinated by Bee's purple correspondence (Look Master, no doubt you didn't insist she wax her mons as you do mine), Priscilla falls into a labyrinth of pain and misery and becomes increasingly obsessed with Bee. As Vanderbilt nudges the two women together, the already soft-focused narrative becomes nearly hallucinatory. Sadly, this is no Story of O: the prose is terminally puffy, the sex has been done (and done and done) and Pris is an unendearing priss. (June)
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Review

“In her new novel, Gloria Vanderbilt has created a remarkable tapestry of human passion--an interior world of highly charged erotic mysteries that teasingly suggest, but ever elude, decoding. OBSESSION is a poetic tale on the nature of possession and obsession.” (Joyce Carol Oates )

“Warmth and zest and cheekiness...OBSESSION is erotica even your grandmother can love.” (The Daily Beast )

“Bee’s letters are carnal, kinky, pulpy, lewd...they’re threatening but enthralling...” (Arizona Republic )

“Leave it to Gloria Vanderbilt to design a sensual novel for the material girl...” (USA Today )

“‘Obsession’...evolves into a clever psychological puzzle...great fun (Buffalo News )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Ecco; 1 edition (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061734896
• ISBN-13: 978-0061734892
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Awful. The worst book I've ever read. Forget about it!, September 29, 2009

By 

Linda Linguvic (New York City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Obsession: An Erotic Tale (Hardcover)

I only attempted this book because it was hyped in some very reliable sources as an erotic tale written by Gloria Vanderbilt. I was curious.

Well, first of all, it is much too short to be called a book. It measures only 5 x 7, the type is humongous, there are wide margins and it is only 144 pages long. The theme is bondage amidst some pretentious over-described scenes. I read the whole thing in about a half hour and must say that this is the worst book I have ever read. It's boring, it's silly and the parts that are supposed to be erotic seem actually comic.

This book is awful. Don't bother with it.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars complete waste of time, money and space on my kindle!, July 24, 2009

By 

Kelle Brucker - See all my reviews

This review is from: Obsession (Kindle Edition)

this was a horrible read. writing was bad, plot was hard to follow, and ending with a sentence that says this is the end of the book "dear readers"?? complete waste of my time.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Two thumbs down..............., July 26, 2009

By 

Ruby D. (Beverly Hills,Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Obsession: An Erotic Tale (Hardcover)

..two thumbs to flip it into the trash can, It is a boring and bizarre plot. It is a bored, rich and frigid housewives fantasy, has a couple of 'c*ck' words in it, but the erotica is too Harlequin fantasy romance paperback type. If you must read it, wait a few weeks it will show up at the 99c store.