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Story of O

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This is a unique and fascinating story of the unadulterated surrender of ones body mind and soul. That one, is a woman who is mysteriously named "O".

"O"s lover Rene, submits her to a strange house in which women are bound, blindfolded, and required to obediently do whatever they're told, for whomever tells them. The story is beautifully written, and really conjures up powerful mental images as you lose yourself in the story. I read this cover to cover on a three hour car ride, and it made the time pass far more quickly.Many debate over the authors true identity. Some think Pauline Reage is a man, but I can't understand why. There are so many details in this book that are clearly feelings of a woman, and the entire book is seemingly written from a womans point of view. I don't think a writer can fake that, especially in sexual matters.

Of all the books I've read in the classic erotica realm, this is among my top favorites. It ranks up there with "Erotica" from Anais Nin, and the more humorous "Tropic..." classics of Henry Miller. However, "The Story Of O" is far more powerful than the aforementioned due to the bizarre deviance of the erotic content. It's certainly not for everyone, but for those of us with an open mind, and a penchant for something wild and extraordinary, here's a story that will definitely satisfy in more ways than one.

A few years ago just prior to her passing, Ms. Reage finally revealed herself - even offering interviews. What she has created, what she has defined and brought into the open for our age (opening the door in the 1950's,) we cannot easily repay. Before her work, there were no publications in the genre save the puerile, repetitive musings of de Sade: "Justine" and "101 Days." Ms. Reage changed this. She re-invented it. She brought it forth from the darkness. Just, for example, in creating the "chateau" device - seemingly obvious, even simple - yet it remains the most copied to this day. But chiefly, I believe, she brought a feminine wisdom to the characters, seeing actions and intent - bereft of particulars, specifics or trivia - through O's eyes as only a woman could. If you read it, take careful note not only of the symbolism of O's name but of how she is an anywoman, she has no physical characteristics save those shared of all women. I cannot do justice to Story here, but it is, truly, literature.

The submissive emerges as human for the first time in O. In the Story Reage gave reign to the freedom of mind inherent in humanity. And it is because of that that O is able to desire her freedom's diminishment for - and all the while despite - herself. Indeed, she completes her own submission - not merely because she has in her possession the freedom itself to relinquish - which de Sade's heroine's did not - but as party to her own subjugation she proves her worthiness to be possessed, affirms her subjugation, gives to her masters a freedom that is inconceivable in lieu of her consent.

When Ms. Reage still sought anonymity, it was written that the Story, like O, would stand naked before her judges. Sadly, Ms Reage's apologetic noises about Story's harshness and its unlikeliness, I believe, directly contrive to render Story's criticism a certain chic-ness in the community - criticism most undeserved: Especially when Story is appreciated in its context.

With this book Ms. Reage provided a defining statement for what would become today's D/s.

Story is not a classic. It is THE CLASSIC.

THE STORY OF O is a truly special work of literary art. For many of us, this was our introduction into a world that we didn't know existed outside of our own twisted minds. It was the first sign that we weren't freaks, or at least there were other freaks in the world, and we weren't alone.

There are aspects to this tale that may shock some people, or leave them with an unpleasant feeling after finishing it. And because of this, I believe it is important to understand why this book was written. THE STORY OF O was written by a French journalist named Anne Desclos (Dominique Aury) as both a love letter and the answer to a challenge by her boyfriend. He was an admirer of De Sade's erotica, and claimed that a woman could not write good erotica.

In the tradition of De Sade, she wrote a story of a young woman's descent into sexual degradation. O falls deeper and deeper until she reaches bottom and there is nowhere left to go, nothing left to do. What makes it truly stand out from De Sade and other male authors is the utterly feminine twist to the story: it is not lust that drives O down this path, but love: her love for Rene, at first, and later for Sir Stephen. O is a metaphor for Desclos' love for her lover, the whips and chains symbolize the strength of her devotion to him. The ending represents her fear of her lover tiring of her and abandoning her for a younger woman. (This is a very simplified explanation, there are several excellent essays of the various interpretations of the symbolism in this book, and can be found by doing a search for `The Story of O'.)

Desclos' lover was so impressed by her story he encouraged her to seek publication. And so she did, using the pseudonym, Pauline Reage. The novel was a near instant success, and for forty years no one knew the true identity of the writer and there were countless theories and rumors. Credit was given to numerous authors, some of them men. Just before her death in 1998, Anne Desclos revealed that she was the mysterious Pauline Reage.

When I first read this novel I had very strong mixed feelings about it. On one hand I was entranced by it. It was incredibly hot, but it was also elegant. This was not pornography meant to be read once and thrown away. The elegant prose, and unashamed, cultured voice told a story of a love so deep death was preferable to its loss, while simultaneously teasing with taboo elements `good' people did not speak of.

But I hated the end. O's masters didn't deserve her. I wanted to rewrite the ending, make O kick those jerks to the curb and run off with her girlfriend. And it disturbed me, because I've known women in my life that would go that far to keep a man from leaving, and they always ended up betrayed and abandoned in the end, too. THE STORY OF O inadvertently illustrates a terrible truth of womanhood, and it's easy to forget that the author wasn't trying to make a statement. She was merely telling a story, not advocating abuse or codependency.

TSOO is an erotic fantasy, nothing more. You'll get the most enjoyment out of it if you just allow it to be what it is and try and avoid reading into it any deeper messages. And if it's still not your cup o' tea, well, that's fine, too. I'm sure there are countless other books that will be. For the rest of us, this book is something special and will always be treasured despite, or maybe because of, the controversy surrounding it.

Let's not forget Pauline Reage--nee Dominique Aury-- wrote this book as a fantasy for her lover. Yes, it's explicit but so was D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover. If you read Jean Paulhan's introduction, you know the author is a member of the prestigious Academie Francais. The translation by Sabine D'Estree is very dense and intense, but not very erotic. O freely submits--she never whores herself--to her lover Rene and then to his powerful half-brother Sir Stephen. (Kissinger said Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac). If the repeated violence turns you off, I recommend Reage's sequel, Return to the Chateau. It's beautifully written, highly erotic fantasy "of a Girl in Love."

At the innocent and naive age of twelve, I discovered "The Story of 'O'" lying on a dusty shelf in an old bookstore much to the dismay of the bookstore's owner. As soon as the old man warned me that the book was filled with "bad things" and "wasn't appropriate for a young girl of my age" I knew I had to possess it. From the first reading of this intriguing and passionate novel, I knew that my innocence and naivite was no more. And every year since my "sexual awakening" I have read "The Story of 'O'" Even now, 12 years later, I find myself coveting this tale of sexual domination and submission. To some, "O" endures only pain, but it is this very "pain" that she treasures. And after all, isn't pain merely pleasure from a different perspective? Though "O" is offered her freedom on several occasions, she chooses the physical bondage and torture over this freedom-perhaps her release comes from being dominated. Readers will experience an intense intimacy with "O". For aren't we all in some form of psychological, physical, or mental bondage in our lives? "O" teaches us that to accept this bondage is to receive unbountiful pleasure, but to deny our environment is to suffer unnecessarily. Those readers who are not stimulated by this novel are deaf and blind to life (or simply do not understand the novel itself.) I highly encourage you to read this novel. It will change your life and most assuredly alter what you consider pain and pleasure.

The important thing to remember about "The Story of O" is that it is a work of fiction. It was written to tell a good story, nothing more. It is NOT any sort of "how to do SM" book. (For books on that subject, see the writings of Philip Miller, Dossie Easton, Jay Wiseman, John Warren, Lady Green or Joseph Bean.)

As an erotic novel rich in texture and even a bit of whimsey, it's a wonderful book, even a classic. I found it to be a very moving story when I first read it many years ago and I still re-read it every few years. It still moves me. Just don't take it for more than its intended to be.

Story of O was my first erotic novel, but I have heard from others that in reality the Story of O is not, by many, considered erotica.

I have to say that there where some parts that totally scared me, but in turn there were parts that thrilled me. A strange understanding of the character "O" began to claim me, and I realized that the story itself is not about sex, it's not about S&M - it's really about a woman who NEEDS to be loved - NEEDS to be desired, a woman that we carry in all of us (women that is). I think over all we need the abandonment sometimes - we want to be desire so that we become enslaved, but most women can draw a line in the sand and say - I will not allow this to be done to me just to prove my love, but others like "O" are not strong enough to withstand the consequences of what may happen if we do not obey.

I loved this story - it did change me. But I still would never want to be flogged.

I read this book in a matter of hours and I have to say I enjoyed what I read. I enjoyed taking the journey with O and discovering what was waiting for her around the corner. I especially enjoyed seeing into a world that is considered dark and foreboding.

I know as a woman I should be offended and outraged over the way O was treated, but I wasn't because I found O as into the bondage, the sex and the debasing that was being done to her just as much the person doing the deeds.

While O was put into the role of the "dominated" I didn't think for one second that she felt she was being dominated or submissive - especially when she decided to make her "Master" fall in love with her.

I found O to be erotic and arousing. My mind was opened up into a whole new genre that and look forward to rereading the Story of O again and again.

This novel could as easily be considered a story of spiritual exploration as that of sexual exploits. Every major world religion considers total submission of the self to a higher power to be a prerequisite to true spiritual fulfillment. Although the pretext for the relationship O experiences with Rene is a love affair, as the novel continues, it becomes clear that Rene is indoctrinating O into another type of existence, one in which how these two particular people relate to and feel about each other becomes increasingly secondary. What becomes primary to the student (who eventually surpasses her first teacher) is the belonging, not the identity of the master. Religions have long equated the relationship between mankind and the divine with the relationship between a woman and a man. The early Christian church was frequently referred to as "the Bride of Christ." And, just as a woman was expected to submit her will to her husband and their marriage, so was a Christian required to freely submit his or her will to that of God. O chooses the same kind of submission, just to a different degree, in a different context, but to the same end. She accepts the first, most basic premise of any religion. One must sacrifice the self, relinquish the entire identity, to something greater than the individual before spiritual fulfillment can be attained. As O drifts further away from what people would recognize as a normal existence, she becomes more ecstatic. She has left behind her old life, with its shallow pursuits of romantic attachments, and has devoted herself wholly to the new life she has chosen. She has been converted. Often, people are drawn to a religious organization by a charismatic individual (a preacher or teacher), as O was drawn to her life of submission by Rene. But as those serious about discovering truth eventually transcend the attachment to any one teacher or personality, so did O finally discover that it was a state of submission and ownership that gave her emotional satisfaction and a type of power, without respect to the identity of the owner.

The Story of O is about a young, beautiful Parisian photographer named O who wants nothing more than to be her lover's slave. She goes through strict "training" for two weeks at Roissey, a club where other women like her learn how to "obey" their masters in whatever they order them to do, whether it be for their masters alone or for other members of the club. O goes through harsh punishments, such as being whipped and flogged daily and being chained to her bed every night. What is most disturbing about this first part of the book, is not O's harsh punishments that she endures, but the fact that she endures all this debasement willingly.

Though she may be considered as a masochist at the beginning of the novel, it becomes clear while reading through the rest of the novel that this is not the case. This is not so much a story about masochism, as it is more a story about love, about how much a woman would sacrifice for it, and the length a woman will go to keep her lover, Rene, happy. O derives no pleasure from the physical, emotional, and psychological torture she endures. Rather, her pleasure is derived from the aftermath of those things: the lashes to her skin, the debasement and objectification of her body and the cruelty that she willingly chooses to endure makes O "happy" in the fact that she is doing all this to please her lover.

O is not a prisoner or slave in the normal term of the word, but rather she is a slave to her love for Rene, as he has made it clear to her that she is free to leave anytime she desires. But she is blinded by her love for him and feels that by enduring the punishment he puts her through, she is becoming closer to him. Or rather, she is becoming his, his object, his property. O cannot stand the thought of losing him or of being separated from him and she feels that her submission to him proves to him that she is his and only his and he can do whatever he wants with her so long as he dos not leave her:

"O was happy that Rene had had her whipped and had prostituted her, because her impassioned submission would furnish her lover with the proof that she belonged to him, but also because the pain and shame of the lash, and the outrage inflicted upon her by those who compelled to her pleasure when they took her, and at the same time delighted in their own without paying the slightest heed to hers, seemed to her the very redemption of her sins."

I saw O, at times, when in the presence of her "masters" as very naive, bordering on the edge of foolish, but cannot help but feel that she deliberately acted this way to seem all the more submissive to them. The only time I ever see O, the real person and not as an object, was when she was with her lover Jacqueline. But I found it odd that O took on many of Rene's domineering characteristics while with Jacqueline, wanting to be in control of Jacqueline intimately, wanting to control her body the way Rene controlled O's. It was only when Jacqueline saw O's body, the marks of the flogging and her scars, that Jacqueline began to back away from O and O had "felt insulted at seeing Jacqueline's contempt for her condition as a flogged and branded slave, a condition of which O herself was proud".

This novel is definitely not for everyone. In fact, it's not for a lot of people due to the neverending violence, or, depending on the way you see it, gratification. I have heard many people call this book "erotic" but it was nothing like that for me. The only reason I kept reading was because I was more intrigued by O. I wanted to understand her, but I think at the end, I was only more confused by her and her mindset. I began thinking toward the end of the novel that she was nothing more than a whore, which ironically, is just what O wanted people to think of her. I also began to greatly dislike her, whereas at the beginning of the novel I was indifferent to her. The ending of this book also left me with a feeling of emptiness as I still had more questions that will forever be unanswered.

What probably disturbed me most about this book, though, was surprisingly not the torture that O endured. If she had been unwilling, it would have caused me to sympathize for her but because she was a willing partner in it, I could not seem to find any kind of sympathy for her, except for at the very end which I will not give away here. That, in itself, disturbed me but what also disturbed me was the fact that I saw in O many characteristics that I have seen in a lot of women today: her willingness to please her lover, to go to drastic lengths to make her lover happy, and her blind passion for him.