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A review by summerofsoaps
History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason
2.0
I tried to read this book for two weeks and I finally gave up without finishing. I don't normally read the blurbs on the back cover but as I was putting this into the bag to return to the library, one review caught my eye. "Like Henry James on Viagra." And I was all, "Oh." Because I don't like Henry James (with the possible exception of "Turn of the Screw", which I really enjoy only because it inspired the amazing classic film "The Innocents" starring Deborah Kerr). This book, like the works of James, is overly detailed, pretentious, and slow moving. The main character is completely unsympathetic, and most of the surrounding characters are not much more likable.
As far as the sex goes, maybe I am jaded by my years of reading romance, both heterosexual and gay, but I was distinctly unimpressed. Mostly I was left with a feeling of "Meh." In order to be turned on by a sex scene, I find I have to have some emotional investment in at least one of the characters. Instead, the common denominator in this book is Piet, who I felt no connection with and, conversely, actively disliked. So the erotica aspect of the book didn't work, and we already discussed what I thought of the "literary fiction" component.
Maybe the book gets better as it goes on, but I just did not have the time or the patience to persevere. Intellectually, I can see that this is well-written, in it's overly stylized, wordy way, and I definitely think some readers will like it. Unfortunately, I am just not one of those readers.
As far as the sex goes, maybe I am jaded by my years of reading romance, both heterosexual and gay, but I was distinctly unimpressed. Mostly I was left with a feeling of "Meh." In order to be turned on by a sex scene, I find I have to have some emotional investment in at least one of the characters. Instead, the common denominator in this book is Piet, who I felt no connection with and, conversely, actively disliked. So the erotica aspect of the book didn't work, and we already discussed what I thought of the "literary fiction" component.
Maybe the book gets better as it goes on, but I just did not have the time or the patience to persevere. Intellectually, I can see that this is well-written, in it's overly stylized, wordy way, and I definitely think some readers will like it. Unfortunately, I am just not one of those readers.