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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
This falls under the category of why-the-hell-didn't-I-read-this-book-earlier.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Just re-read this and I'd forgotten how weird and overwrought it is at points. I still love it, but I think its central romance becomes vaguely tedious halfway through. It is not really a recommended read for those looking for a quick toss; rather, I should think it's of interest to those wanting to delve into the history of esotericism, sexual iconoclasm, turn-of-the-century Germany, and general weirdness.
An often silly take on desire and kink with repetitive and borderline purple prose, Sacher-Masch's work has neither the shocking depravity of Sade, who came before him (uh, pardon the pun), nor the subtle psychological insights and intensity of Schnitzler, who came after. The story has passion, but mainly of the schoolboy variety. A fun(ny) read that only made me want to return to the writings of Sade I perused as a teenager.
i've learned that when one reads henry miller, anais nin, and leopold von sacher-masoch all together one gets the innate desire to fuck or be fucked.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was 132 densely packed pages of human neuroses. I found several of the passages ringing uncomfortably true/familiar as I read them. I have known couples who played similar, if less extreme, games with each other but seldom with as much honesty as was portrayed here; Masochism indeed! The are bits of the vividly painted characters of Wanda and Severin in each of us; the capacity to surrender to and be ruled over by obsessive love is outweighed only by the latent (or not so latent) potential for torture and cruelty. The scenes that were painted in this book of absolute powerlessness in the face of what passes for love made me shudder. That said, I think this book is an interesting lens through which to examine one's own motivations and experiences.
I found myself alternately pitying and despising Severin. In the end I agreed with what he himself had to say on the matter "the moral of the tale is this: whoever allows himself to be whipped, deserves to be whipped". I remained fairly neutral toward Wanda for the majority of the book. She was like the marble statues of Venus for me - simply reflecting whatever adoration or beauty or cruelty people wanted to see from her. She was, like so many female characters, just waiting for the men to tell her or show her what she could be. I think she was fairly pathetic, really.
I have to admit that I was hoping for less whipping and more fucking when I started this book. I'm not squeamish about kink or fetish, I just prefer more of a balance. I guess I'll have to find my smut elsewhere.
Sacher-Masoch may not have been happy about the coining of the term 'masochism', but I can't think of a more perfect etymology for the word. The last page really got me, and I'll have to spend some time putting a few of those statements into the larger context of the story:
"She can only be his slave or his despot, but never his companion. That she can only become when she has the same rights as he, and is his equal in education and work." Feminist before his time!!!
"...we have only the choice to be hammer or anvil..." I'll be the hammer when given the choice, thank you very much, now where did I put those vinyl thigh high boots?
I found myself alternately pitying and despising Severin. In the end I agreed with what he himself had to say on the matter "the moral of the tale is this: whoever allows himself to be whipped, deserves to be whipped". I remained fairly neutral toward Wanda for the majority of the book. She was like the marble statues of Venus for me - simply reflecting whatever adoration or beauty or cruelty people wanted to see from her. She was, like so many female characters, just waiting for the men to tell her or show her what she could be. I think she was fairly pathetic, really.
I have to admit that I was hoping for less whipping and more fucking when I started this book. I'm not squeamish about kink or fetish, I just prefer more of a balance. I guess I'll have to find my smut elsewhere.
Sacher-Masoch may not have been happy about the coining of the term 'masochism', but I can't think of a more perfect etymology for the word. The last page really got me, and I'll have to spend some time putting a few of those statements into the larger context of the story:
"She can only be his slave or his despot, but never his companion. That she can only become when she has the same rights as he, and is his equal in education and work." Feminist before his time!!!
"...we have only the choice to be hammer or anvil..." I'll be the hammer when given the choice, thank you very much, now where did I put those vinyl thigh high boots?