The Story of O written by Pauline Reage is a fascinating erotic journey that will tell you quite a bit about your own feelings toward sex, chastity, domination, and submission. This is the story of a beautiful high fashion photographer named O who is taken to Roissy by her lover Rene. At Roissy, O is subjected to unimaginable torture, routine beatings and the possibility of being taken in any way at any time. O struggles with submission at first and then submits to it fully.

This book opens with a mysterious and erotic vignette and continues on this pace for the rest of the book. The descriptions of sex, beatings, and torture are erotic and arousing without being sleazy. You are left to fill in sexy details on your own, which makes the experience even richer. Regardless of your gender, Reage’s writing, pulls you into O’s thought processes and you are able to feel her hurt, pain, joy, and most importantly, her arousal. The words of her first night at Roissy have been a continual masturbatory fantasy.

The descriptions of Roissy and the times afterward are lush and detailed, which add to the movie that is certain to play in your head. They are extreme descriptions of a lifestyle that is usually not as extreme in real life, but the extreme aspects add to the intensity and erotic nature of the novel.

Translated from the original French, the luxuriant imagery is not lost in translation in the least. Those who have been to the area of France may find some of the locations described familiar, which only adds to the “possibility” nature of the novel. After reading this, it will make you wonder if that woman you passed on the street has anything on under her skirt or if her lover has control over all parts of her life. It is definitely a book that worms its way into your psyche and will not let go. Ever.