Customer Reviews

The Sleeping Beauty Novels: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty / Beauty's Release / Beauty's Punishment

5 star:		(99)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(38)

 

 

When I read the first of the Sleeping Beauty books by Anne Rice, I read it in an afternoon. I immediately went out and bought the remaining two books in the trilogy. I had purchased the first one out of curiosity, after paging through it. At first, these books may seem to be just a lot of sex, and S and M type of stuff, but there is more to it than that. Rice explores the feelings of the characters and how they adjust to their situation and surroundings, and how they relate to each other in such an extraordinary setting. I found myself reading as fast as I could to find out what happened to Beauty and her friends. If you are offended by extremely explicit and graphic sex, you would not like these books. But if that doesn't bother you, and you like a sense of fantasy and seductiveness, these are the books for you.

Many years ago, as rumor has it, Anne Rice set out to prove that the world of erotica was not limited to male writers. It was her contention, so the story goes, that a women could contribute to this genre just as well, if not better.

And so, under the pen name A. N. Roquelaure, Anne created a trilogy of intense sado-masochistic erotic novels loosely based on the fairytale "Sleeping Beauty."

To say that these books are overwhelmingly intense is not to state the case. It is possible to read them without having a predeliction toward the acts that are graphically described on almost every page, but be warned that Anne, aka Roquelaure, pulls no punches, and there is absolutely nothing subtle or hinted at in these books.

Like everything Anne wrote before "Memnoch the Devil," the Beauty Chronicles are works of genius, in my opinion. They contain the same richness, the same historical detail, the same darkness as all of her later books to come, including her chronicles of the witches, and the vampires. I am not a regular reader of such novels, so I cannot compare them to others of the genre, but I venture to say that these books have to stand out as unique at the least, mind-blowing at the most.

It is easy to understand the deep eroticism of Rice's witch and vampire books after sampling the Beauty chronicles. For many many years, I imagined Rice as a veritable cauldron of bubbling thoughts, erotic and otherwise, sane and otherwise, struggling to break free. These three books seem to prove the point, which is why I can view them as more than trash.

Anne knew what she was doing, and she did it, as only she can, in a spectacular manner. Again, be warned: If you are going to read the Beauty Chronicles, expect pure, savage erotica, with nothing hidden or explained away. I read these novels to gain more insight into what makes Rice tick. I did not come away unshocked or unscathed, but I certainly read her later works with a new understanding.

Sleeping Beauty awakens to find Prince Charming is taking her to his castle not to make her his wife but take her through an adventure which makes her subject to the whims of the countless inhabitants of his castle. Her adventures continue when she visits the local village in the second novel and is abducted and taken to a Sultan's castle in the third. But in the end her greatest adventure is finding true love.

I read all three of Ann Rice's Sleeping Beauty novel's, and almost every other book she's ever written. I loved her other books because of the sensual, erotic way in which she writes. When I bought the trilogy, I never imagined I would encounter the best erotic fiction I have ever read. I loved the Trilogy. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an open mind, however if you are not, then read at your own risk.

Though I was skeptical at first, I rapidly found that this series is stimulating, colorful, and entrancing. Anne Rice does a wonderful job of delving into the thoughts behind submission, offering beautifully written descriptions of the desires of the characters. To truly appreciate this body of work, one really must read all three books in the series. By following Beauty through all the books, you can watch as her character developes and see how she comes to understand and love her submission. As well, the ending of the third book ties everything together as only a fairy tale can. I loved this series, and although I would have liked a bit more variance in the punishment scenes, I still find myself pouring over the books and my favorite passages.

The Sleeping Beauty trilogy has to be the most enthralling and captivating series I've ever had the pleasure of reading. I got the first book from a friend, and as soon as I finished it I had to go out and buy the second and third books. I couldn't put them down! I've always read a lot in the past but never anything that actually kept me intrigued throughout the entire book, let alone an entire series. These books awaken the dormant animalistic desires that burn within us all. A definate must read for anyone that needs some passion and excitement in their lives.

There is so much more to these books. The "beauty" of Anne Rice's writing comes out in such brilliant form here. She explores underlying, basic human instincts and desires, along with all the emotions surrounding them. Yes, the sex is graphic and explicit, so if that bothers you then don't read them. But the story wouldn't work any other way. She brings you right along with Beauty into another world, and you can't help but be drawn in by the tempting surrealism. A great escape, in my opinion. I highly recommmend this trilogy to any true Anne Rice fan, or just for those who enjoy good erotic fiction (this would probably fall into the S&M/Bondage genre). If you like it, you'll really like it. Set aside a long, quiet evening and you'll be through all three books before you know it, with a smile on your face, thanks to Ms. Rice.

A.N. Roquelaure puts a new spin on an age old tale! 15 year old Beauty is awakened by the prince not with a kiss but with sexual initiation. Overwelmed by her beauty the prince takes her to his neighboring kingdom and starts her on the road to sexual dominence and submision. Beauty is the princes personal pleasure slave and must please him at all cost. Even though it includes daily spankings with paddles, whips, bare hands and crops. It is a journey into the world of BDSM that most readers will know little about at the beginning of the first book but will by the end of the third book! Anne Rice really does her home work for these novels and one must wonder if she should not by credited as Mistress Roquelaure. I enjopyed the books very much as she goes into great detail to draw the reader into the story. These are books for open minded people. Not the prudish! A.N. Roquelaure weaves a wonderfully erotic tale of the sleeping beauty legend complete with a "Happily Ever After" ending. A must read!!!

Seems to me that most readers either intensely love the Sleeping Beauty trilogy, or intensely hate it. I fall somewhere in the middle. I feel that the books have their thrilling points but overall just sort of bore me.

What works for me: The first few chapters of the first book (disturbing but beautifully written), and the last few chapters of the last book (sublime). These scenes resonate with the archetypal motifs of familiar fairy tales, and are emotionally intense.

What doesn't work for me: Endless scenes of spanking, and later, endless scenes of "pony boy" training. Even if those *were* my personal kinks, and they're not, the scenes would still be repetitive. The fact that most of the story has nothing to do with the Sleeping Beauty legend. Most of all, what doesn't work is the lack of emotional depth throughout most of the tale. It's proven that the brain is the most important sex organ, but for chapter after chapter it's all "tab A in slot B" with no glimpses into the characters' heads.

At one point toward the end of the first book, Beauty muses about how the BDSM tortures of the castle don't frighten her, and that what really scares her is being left alone with her own mind, a mind that too easily slips back into the misty aimlessness of her long sleep. Now, that was interesting, and so much more could have been done with further exploration of Beauty's psyche. But the moment passed--and we were back to spankings and thrustings and not much else.

I had heard about Anne Rice's Beauty series from friends and finally got the chance to read this Triology. I have to say that I was really blown away by the new mindset it put me in. I consider myself a normal person, with normal sexual interests and feelings, but Rice's writings have opened a new though secret door into my soul. I can now understand the thrill someone might find being overpowered and dominated, the joys of submissiveness and the heady power of domination. This is what I have been looking for in reading, thoughts that change the way I envision myself and my desires. I have now begun looking for this type of erotic tone in other books I read, such as the mystery Devil In the Metal by Rory Smith. His book features a dom-anti-hero who administers a few nice s&m sessions. I understand that he is also a fan of Rice's books which may explain many of his scenes. In closing, I would give the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by Anne Rice the highest ranking possible.

For an adult who likes fantasy and erotic literature, this is truly the series of choice. I have never read such a colorful and well written work of this nature. Anne is an expert at expressing the nuances of the characters and settings in this series, and really fuels the imagination with her writing style. Not a read for the weak-at-heart, but for those who can appreciate something much more than your everyday sex story. It is so unusual for a sexual fantasy to be written in such a colorful way and taken beyond anything you could have expected, (into novel form) but if you are open to reading this unique trilogy, you will wonder why more adult fiction of this caliber is not available, and will wish that more would be written!