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effgeesstories 's review for:
The Ages of Lulu
by Almudena Grandes
Well. I must tell you at the outset that this is erotica, pure and simple. It's not romance, it's erotica, although there is an unlikely romance lurking just beneath the surface. If you are Christian (or Muslim) you'd call it porn. It has been compared to The Story of O and (I think) Fifty Shades of Grey, but I've never read those books, so I can't say. I CAN say that the sex scenes compare favorably with Jacqueline Carey and Sarah Gran.
The book itself was a bumpy ride in the first half. The backstory is told in flashbacks. The setting is Madrid in the 70s & 80s, with plenty of references (although not by name) to the Franco regime. I didn't like the translation, although I generally like Sonia Soto's work. But this time, it was translated into British vernacular for a British publisher. Words like "knickers" and "bloke" just kinda threw me out of the story every time they appeared.
But I was ultimately satisfied with it. The final act redeemed the book, with a climax that is both erotic and very cringeworthy. Your call...
The book itself was a bumpy ride in the first half. The backstory is told in flashbacks. The setting is Madrid in the 70s & 80s, with plenty of references (although not by name) to the Franco regime. I didn't like the translation, although I generally like Sonia Soto's work. But this time, it was translated into British vernacular for a British publisher. Words like "knickers" and "bloke" just kinda threw me out of the story every time they appeared.
But I was ultimately satisfied with it. The final act redeemed the book, with a climax that is both erotic and very cringeworthy. Your call...