IF you only have One text on 'bdsm' behavior in your personal library... this novel should be It! "O" was given to me by Elaine in 1978 without a word of explanation. After reading and rereading it over the years, I am grateful to "E" for introducing me to the "Master James" inside. I have found that simply mentioning "The Story of O" to certain women unlocks a unique door to explore and share their true nature. I believe "O" to be a true cult classic much as "A Boy and His Dog" is to Don Johnson fans, and "The Rose" is to an understanding of love. In the beginning I thought "O" was mere fiction, however, towards the end I began to realize the "Reality" those pages hold for the reader who has an open mind. Over the years I have personally Discovered lifestyles within lifestyles, behavior within behavior, realities within curiosities, Needs within desires. If you read Only One text on the subject of D/s, it has to be "O" which is a 'novel'... or Is it?

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.

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 ... 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.