Let's talk about books!

Mar 23, 2009 10:56

Today's topic: Oh My God, I Can See Your Id ( Read more... )

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troubleinchina March 23 2009, 17:16:57 UTC
Did you know that women can only achieve true enlightment, understanding, and happiness in their sex lives by being sexually submissive?

Neither did I, until I read a bit too much Paulo Coelho.

There's this scene in "Veronika Decides To Die" where the main character, Veronika, finally accepts her true self and is able to escape from the depression that's eaten at her when she masturbates for a very long time in front of an impassive man with some form of mental illness who either cannot or willnot react to her. There's a bit too much detail of her sexual fantasies, the "true" meaning of her sexuality, blah blah, and she reaches the truth by fantasy after fantasy of submission.

On it's own, eh. To each her own, right? But I was going through a lot of his books at the time and whereas that's the most blatant, it basically keeps coming up again and again in various ways. And I've never read any of this books where a man's sexual fantasy life is discussed at all.

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brown_betty March 23 2009, 17:57:33 UTC
Hm, where did I come across a recommendation for him?

Luckily, he's (I believe) “literary,” so I'm not in much danger of accidentally reading him, but I shall try to remember his name, just in case.

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rsadelle March 25 2009, 17:24:23 UTC
Two of his books were on Christian Kane's list of top five favorite books.

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brown_betty March 23 2009, 18:41:34 UTC
And, also: yes, the thing where you read one book and it's like "eh" and then you read another one and it's like "eh?" and then you read the third and realize you know have enough data points for a straight line and the conclusion is getting increasingly inescapable.

Blargh.

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brynnmck March 25 2009, 17:06:04 UTC
(here via your overheardfandom link)

John Fowles was like this for me. I read The French Lieutanant's Woman and really enjoyed it, skeevy virgin/whore crap aside, and then I read The Magus and it was more of the same, and then I (foolishly) read a third book by him and it was more yet of the same, and... ew. Also RAGE.

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elaran March 25 2009, 23:04:40 UTC
oh my god we did The Collector in English and it freaked me out bigtime.

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brown_betty March 26 2009, 01:35:35 UTC
asd;flkj I didn't realize that was by him! I just know it from “that book what serial killers like.”

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elaran March 26 2009, 03:12:55 UTC
yes! ::shudders::

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harborshore March 23 2009, 19:00:34 UTC
YES on Paolo Coelho, only I was thinking of Eleven Minutes, where a woman named Maria goes on a journey to discover the truth of sex and love. Well, that's what the author considers the plot to be, she's working as a prostitute who is eventually saved by the love of a good man. I must confess I didn't get through the whole thing, but there were epically terrible sex scenes, including some really squick-inducing attempts at D/s, I remember that much.

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troubleinchina March 23 2009, 19:42:35 UTC
I didn't read that one, and I'm so glad!

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harborshore March 23 2009, 21:40:23 UTC
Yeah. I normally finish everything I start reading, but that one, uh, no. Paolo Coelho, if you would, please refrain from writing books you think are hot and pretend like they hold the sacred truth of life. *sighs*

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fivewhatfive March 25 2009, 20:46:14 UTC
I feel like most of his books are self-help in disguise with a touch of his own ~fantasies~ thrown in. WHY DOES IT SELL? DOES NOT COMPUTE.

/butting in

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silentcs March 25 2009, 22:46:48 UTC
WHY DOES IT SELL? DOES NOT COMPUTE.

I have the exact same problem! I read The Alchemist and thought it was pretty boring. Then in 1000 Books to Read Before you Die, he's on there TWICE. Veronika Decides to Die and The Devil and Miss Prym. I read them both and have no idea why anyone should particularly read those two...

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