What's a nice reviewer like me doing in a book like this?Well, I have been disturbed recently by the gradual infusion of BDSM into popular culture, culminating in the chart-rogering 50 Shades of Grey, and the song by Rihanna called S&M ("pain is my pleasure… chains and whips excite me") which was No 1 in various countries, enjoyed by millions of teenyboppers. Reviews of 50 Shades and co-incidentally or not Story of O have been popping up all over Goodreads lately. BDSM has gone mainstream.It's all very well, and I would be the last to rain goldenly on anyone's parade (I mean, this stuff was being lampooned amusingly by Tom Lehrer back in the 60s :You can raise welts like nobody eltsAs we dance to the Masochism tango)but it's beginning to bug me now. Because – surprise!! - 99% of the Ms in the S&M relationships are women.* Yes, these are all stories of men beating and humiliating women and women wanting men to beat and humiliate them. How delicious! So the message, whether intentional or not, is : some women like pain. And further : when some women say no, really they mean yes. Aka she was asking for it.This was the kind of unreconstructed misogyny bandied around in the 1950s, before feminism. Now it's rebranded itself as transgressive and daring and it's big.I looked at some reviews of 50 Shades of Gray and was immediately put off reading that one. One review said something like this book is crap, the really good no-holds-barred BDSM novel which is actually really well written is Topping from Below. And I thought well, I can't get on my soapbox again without reading an example of this stuff, so here I am.Ugh.Blech.Sick bag!No, a bigger one please. Thank you.Please note – what follows is full of spoilerish comments and allusions to some very unwholesome practices.If you take the S&M stuff out of this novel you have an adequately written stupid thriller. A strong independent woman suspects that her sister's boyfriend murdered her, as do the police. But they can't get any evidence. So she befriends him (like you would). He immediately tells her – ah, you think I killed your sister and you're going to try to find evidence! She says – yes, I do, you bastard, you killed my sister. So they start sleeping together, like you would. Well, you would if you were in an erotic thriller, because it's compulsory.You can see that the plot is the usual silliness. But the sex is serious. The villain is referred to as M thoughout the novel. M likes to beat women, tie them up and that kind of thing. He describes what he does as consensual. Question : What is consent ? Use example of mummification in your answer.Example 1 – The boyfriend proposes mummification. The girlfriend smashes him over the head with a dinner plate, and the dinner is still on it. The bouillabaise goes everywhere. The stain on the wall will puzzle future residents. The girlfriend storms out and never sees the guy again. That is not consent.Example 2 – The boyfriend proposes mummification. The girlfriend asks what it is, it sounds intriguing. Boyfriend explains that he wishes to wrap her body head to toe in clingfilm: " You'll be completely immobilised. You won't be able to see or hear. The only thing you'll have is air holes. Total sensory deprivation. It might last for hours, time will mean nothing to you, and I won't unwrap you until it sounds like you're beginning to breathe funny." Girlfriend says, ooh yes, let's do that now! That's consent.Example 3 – The boyfriend is rich & handsome, the girlfriend is on the plump side and generally not that personable. She knows she'll never get anyone remotely like this again, it's a one time thing. She's in love, really. So he suggests mummification. She hates the idea, she's afraid of it, she thinks he's a freak, but she's not going to smash him over the head with the dinner plate. She murmers dubiously, suggests counter-proposals ("just bandage my feet"), he brushes them all aside. He says look, you do this or you're out that door. She never says yes. He pushes her into a room and mummifies her. She's absolutely terrified. Is this consent?"Hey, M - You know, she really didn't consent, did she? ""Well, she could have walked out the door. I wouldn't have stopped her. "(Cops say: Some guys think that if the woman gives him a blow job while he's pointing a gun at her, that's consent. The guy will say – "she consented! She coulda not consented." Yeah? But you would have shot her. "Yeah well – she consented." - quote from a book called "What Cops Know")Consent is the thing this novel plays around with the most – Nora never consents to being tied up and whipped but M does so anyway and she fights and screams and all of that and - oh really well I never - after he's done beating her she finds that she –in some mystical way – really enjoyed it – as he knew she would. So she consents in retrospect.(p167)I'm not sure how the pain figures into all this, but on some sexual level I enjoy being dominated, being controlled by another person. I can't explain it. As a feminist, it goes against everything I believe.Nora continues to consent to all this by continuing to turn up at M's house. So all the S&M scenes give the strong idea of NON-consent, but the consent is always given in retrospect. And the apparent illusion of non-consent is what makes the thrill so great for both parties.Aargh, my head is hurting.Just to make us all feel better, Laura Reese throws in two psychological explanations for these sisters' acquiescence to all the whippings and torture – the younger one always felt responsible for the death of her younger brother , and the older one feels guilty about her former indifference to the younger one. So you know on some level this is why they want a man to beat them! But then she also throws in stuff like this speech by M :You're going to enjoy this, Nora. Immensely. Once your freedom of choice is removed, once you give yourself over to me, you'll experience a new kind of liberation : complete abandon, no responsibility, no choice but to accept the pleasure and the pain I give you. Okay, now here are a couple of quotes from the blurbs on the back:Fiendishly horny, unexpectedly affecting – Mary GaitskellSex is kinky and love is twisted. A daring erotic thriller – San francisco ChronicleThe plot is sparked by a dangerous current of eroticism – Harpers BazaarA compelling plot intertwined with steamy scenes. When's the last time you read raunchy sex and a good mystery in the same book? – PlayboyDevilishly pornographic – Publisher's weeklySee how they're sort of all going oo-la-la this is so naughty but nice? Aren't we wicked? Well, now I must mention that on p180 M pulls out a video and asks Nora to watch it – "there are only two actors in this film, a man in his forties and a young girl . She appears to be nine or ten." That's right, Mr Naughty but Consensual Bondage likes kiddieporn. It slightly bothers Nora but she sleeps with him anyway. Then later, this fiendishly horny novel gives us a detailed scene between our heroine Nora and M's Great Dane. That's right, it's a dog, not a euphemism. I found that scene unexpectedly affecting, as Ms Gaitskell says. I should hastily mention that the Nora/Great Dane encounter is presented as entirely consensual and "the taboo nature of the act aroused me immensely". So, you know, no harm done!(So according to Mary Gaitskell kiddieporn and sex with animals is fiendishly horny. I'm so glad I've only ever given Mary Gaitskell bad reviews.)One last point - it's hard to know what Laura Reese thinks about people. Does she really think a woman would get into a sexual relationship with a guy who she thinks tortured her sister to deathin order that she might be able to find out something incriminating? Honestly, this is that kind of unbelievable rubbish people only do in thrillers, which is why I mostly dislike thrillers. Or am i wrong? Do you know anyone who has deliberately slept with someone they thought murdered a close relative? Maybe it happens a lot and I just live a sheltered life. Please let me know! Add a message in the space provided! It just seems to me that thrillers attempt to portray a realistic believable world (no magical realism, no talking animals) with lots of convincing local details (this takes place very specifically in Davis, California, and, you know, I think the city should sue!) but then populates it with crazy unbelievable characters. Maybe the thrillers wouldn't be thrilling if people behaved normally in them. I can't think of a way to end this review so I'll just say - don't read this book. I hope I spoiled it for you. * e.g. in these movies Belle de JourLast tango in Paris9 ½ weeksDamageThe Night PorterIn the Realm of the SensesThe Piano TeacherBlue VelvetSecretaryA Serbian FilmThe Killer Inside Me
A Question for You, ReggieHi, Reggie, I normally love Paul Bryant's reviews, but his review of "Topping from Below" has me perplexed.http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...Does he take the novel too seriously or not seriously enough?Please help.IanReggie RespondsThanks for your question, Ian.Paul is one of my favourite reviewers on GR, too.However, when he takes the side of feminism in his reviews, he allows his normally astute views to be whipped into a frenzy (see "American Psycho").Two passages from his review will show just how wrong you can be, when you allow your individuality and judgement to be subsumed by some fringe ideology that posits sexual equality as the norm, when we know damned well that everywhere there is passionate inequality and BDSM.First, Paul asks: "Does she [the author, Laura Reese] really think a woman would get into a sexual relationship with a guy who she thinks tortured her sister to death in order that she might be able to find out something incriminating?"Second, he complains about the doggy fashion (and by that I don't mean canine wardrobe):"Then later, this fiendishly horny novel gives us a detailed scene between our heroine Nora and M's Great Dane. That's right, it's a dog, not a euphemism." I don't know whether "euphemism" is the word that Paul was searching for.However, I will substitute "metaphor", in order to argue that the true appeal of "Topping from Below" is its recontextualisation of one of the great works of English literature.Is it realistic that a woman would sleep with the murderer of a close relative?Of course it is, it's been done before.What about Gertrude and that murdering bastard, King Claudius?And if that's not enough of a clue, Laura Reese makes her literary and historical intentions clear with the reference to the "Great Dane".Paul waxes desperate with imagination, but he misses the point that "Topping from Below" is a contemporisation of "Hamlet", a work of literature that risks losing relevance in the world of Facebook and Twitter."Topping from Below" is "Hamlet" with whips and chains (OK, and, I suppose, symbolic, implied, literary bestiality).Laura Reese is a whiplash girl child in the dark, crying out, trying to focus our attention on the root cause of today's social problems.Yes, something is rotten in the state of Denmark.And the problems start at the top, on the top, with the dominants.We submissives have to fight back and exert control over those who would dominate us.Not just men, as Paul implies, but dominants of all eight or nine genders and/or political persuasions (especially female bondage monarchists, not mentioning any names, Mother).We are born free, and everywhere we are in chains.Submissives of the world unite.We must top from below!(Sgd.) Reggie SideIn next week's column: Bird Brian asks, "Stuff Denmark, Reggie, WTF's going down in Greece?
Do You like book Topping From Below (1996)?
Nietzsche wrote; "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process."This isn't "Fifty Shades of Grey" ladies...This was the most twisted and vile book I've ever read in my entire life! Although the subject matter was an abomination, I cannot and will not give it a low rating, I don't know who this author is, what her internal dialogue was while writing this book. Where she got the material for her book is a very disturbing thought! But I will say this, the biatch can write the sh!t out of a book!There are some scenes in this book, that I just cannot forget! One particular scene, whenever I think about it, I feel claustrophobic!!At the moment I can't even look at my own dog, my mind is just plain raw! I feel like I've been chewed up and spat out again!Dear author, you dedicated this book to your family! WTF for???? Why would you do that???This was dark, this wasn't erotica. This was a thriller slash horror! Seriously think very carefully before you read this book! It contains the highest form of humiliation a human being can be exposed to, and trust me the scenes will replay themselves over and over again in your head. Just don't read this book! I still don't wanna look at my dog!
—Christine The Dark Romance Junkie *Principessa*
Hikâye Nora Tibbs'in kız kardeşi Frances 'in ölümünün yahut öldürülüşünün arkasındaki sır perdesini aralamaya soyunması ile başlıyor . ''Öldürülüşünün '' diyorum çünki Nora , kız kardeşinin pek bir acayip sevgilisi Michael tarafından öldürüldüğünü düşünüyor ve artık Nora 'nın tek gâyesi kâtili deşifre etmek . Bu şekilde başladığından sebep hoş bir hikâye karakterine bürünüyor kitap , fakat zihnime salgın bir hastalık gibi yayılan şu düşünceyi üzerimden silkip atamıyorum : Pek sevgili Nora Hanım kızım ; Kız kardeşini öldürdüğünü düşündüğün adama k*çını başını açma konusunda neden bu kadar heveslisin ? Üstelik bu adam Sado-Mazosişt eğilimleri olan - yok canım, ne eğilimi basbayağı sadistin önce gideni olan bir çeşit manyak iken . Kızın kardeşi Frances ile girdiği cinsel ilişkinin ayrıntılarını Nora ile paylaşıyorken aynı zamanda da Nora ile sevişebilen pis , hastalıklı bir zihin sâhibi bir herif bu . Tek gâyesi Michael'ı baştan çıkarıp ona suçunu îtirât ettirmek olduğu halde kendisini tâmâmen bu adamın kontrolü atında , adetâ irâdesi elinden alınmış bir vaziyette buldu Nora ve bu adamla bu çeşit bir ilişki içerisine girdiğinde bir sevgilisi de vardı , yâni Nora da öyle pek sağlam ayakkabı değil . Durum böyle olunca Nora'nın sevgilisi Ian'e bir acıyayım , yüreğim ezilsin dedim yine olmadı . Zîrâ onun da kirli çamaşırları varmış . Ne etsem bilemedim ; kitap boyunca hangi karakterin neresini tutsam elimde kaldı . Bir kırılma noktasından sonra Nora , silkelenip kendine geldi ve Michael ile birlikte oluşunun altındaki nedeni hatırlayarak tekrar kız kardeşi adına adâleti saplamak için kolları sıvadı ve ne yaptı ne etti zekîce bir oyunca Michael 'den istediği îtirâfı aldı . Efendim , bu pis herif artık ayarını çoktan aşmış BDSM oyunları esnâsında Frances'i kazâyla(!) öldürmüş... Be gözü kör olasıca , BDSM'nin , içinde sadist- mazoşist eylemlerden zevk almak gibi bir olguyu barındırdığını biliyoruz , fakat ben kimsenin ölmekten zevk alacağını düşünemiyorum . Hele ki o adamın Frances'le domuz çiftliğinde yediği halt neydi öyle yahu . Sanırsın hayvanlı porno çekiyor herif .Meseleyi şöyle bir derleyip toparlarsak , bu kitabı ne Fifty Shades Serisi ile ne de Cherise Sinclair kitapları ile karşılaştırın . Bu kitap bünyesinde amacını aşmış bir sadizmi barındırıyor . Okuyanlar bilirler Cherise Sinclair kitapları cinsel içerik bakımından hayli ağırdır ve içinde gerçek BDSM'yi barındırır , fakat onun kitaplarındaki dominantlar yahut masterlar iaatkârlarının sınırlarını bilirler; hatta onlara hayatlarında üstesinden gelmekte zolandıkları her türlü meseleyi aşmalarında yardımcı olurlar . Nitekim Cherise de okurlarının sınırlarını bilir; yazdığı şey her ne kadar erotica da olsa karakterlerinin arasında sağlam duygusal bağlar kurmayı ertelemez yahut ihmâl etmez . Velhâsıl-ı kelâm , Cherise Sinclair'i BDSM-Erotica türünde bir kitap okumak niyetiyle ve bu tür kitaplara karşı önyargı beslemeden okursanız içindeki cinsel içerikten hiç rahatsız olmaz yahut çok az rahatsız olursunuz; eroticanın her türlüsünden rahatsız oluyorsanız da bu türde kitap okumayarak sorununuza en pratik çözümü getirirsiniz. Fakat bu durum bu kitap ve Laura Reese için benim nazarımda geçerli değil zîrâ bu hikâye içinde zerre kadar aşk , sevgi ve türevi bir şeyi barındırmayan salt hard-core porn ... Daha meselenin en başında Nora- Michael- Frances üçlüsünün ilişkisinden tiksinmeye başlamıştım ki bir de bu üçlü ''okey''e dördüncü ararcasına Ian'in eklenmesiyle dörtlendi.Diyeceğim odur ki bu hikâyeyi ; '' Aşk , sevgi , saygı aramıyorum ; yanızca porno okumak istiyorum , '' diyen okurlar beğenebilirler . Ben erotic novel zevkime Sylvia Day , Lisa Valdez, E.L James , Allyson James , Cherise Sinclair çizgisinde devâm etmek niyetindeyim .
—Contessina
~~~4/4.5 DISTURBINGLY DARK PSYCHOTIC THRILLER STARS~~~Topping From Below is a twisted tale of sex, lies, and suspense but all done in a manner to find justice and retaliation. It's written intricately well. Your always second guessing your theories and assumptions until the bitter end. Just when you think you have things figured out, it smacks you right in the face with new revelations. The story is told in Nora's point of view but also through tidbits of information through her sister's diary (Fanny). Once Nora's starts uncovering information through Fanny's diary she is determined to put herself in her sister's shoes to get to the bottom of what had transpired in her sister's life. But what ends up happening is more sadistic than Nora had anticipated and she is thrust into a world of eroticism and sadomasochism. "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you."Nora pissed me off! She was as deranged as her counterpart M. I couldn't understand why she would put herself in such situations. I also couldn't relate to her logic and why she endured so much for the sake of justice. But oh NO, Nora was a saint compared to the demented, sadistic, Michael. Michael is in a league of his own. He tops the cake! He is the pure definition of evil, he is aggressive, brutal, vicious, merciless, and heartless. This is not your traditional dark read, its WAY beyond that. The things done in this book are inconceivable, demented, and disturbing. If you get squeamish easily then this is not the book for you. But if you are, much like myself this book will push the envelope and will leave you scarred for life.
—Johanna
