Topping From Below
1 journaler for this copy...
From Publishers Weekly
The title of this devilishly pornographic--albeit literate--novel is taken from the argot of sadomasochism and refers to a rebellious dynamic in which the dominant partner (the "top") is subtly manipulated by the submissive partner (the "bottom"). After her young sister, Franny, is found murdered--bound, gagged and mutilated--Nora Tibbs, a journalist for the Sacramento Bee, discovers in Franny's computer a diary that details her brief affair with "M.," an arrogant music professor in his late 40s. Cruelly exploiting the overweight, love-starved woman, M. forced Franny to submit to a humiliating gamut of outre sexual practices. Convinced that M. is Franny's murderer, Nora sets out to prove his guilt by pretending to submit to his depraved aberrations. But, to her astonishment, she discovers a dark, pagan side of herself when M. enthralls her with intense, if perilous, sexual pleasure. Graphic descriptions of exotic sexual practices (bondage and discipline, sadomasochism, bestiality, etc.) accumulate, counterpointed by Nora's sweetly romantic relationship with a fellow reporter. The suspense, a bit attenuated by thin secondary characters, also is muted by artless foreshadowing, but the conclusion is satisfying in a savage sort of way and Nora's plunge "down, all the way down" under M.'s manipulations will keep most readers gripped even as they're aware that Reese's shameless pandering is manipulating them in turn. Comparison to Story of O is well earned.
The title of this devilishly pornographic--albeit literate--novel is taken from the argot of sadomasochism and refers to a rebellious dynamic in which the dominant partner (the "top") is subtly manipulated by the submissive partner (the "bottom"). After her young sister, Franny, is found murdered--bound, gagged and mutilated--Nora Tibbs, a journalist for the Sacramento Bee, discovers in Franny's computer a diary that details her brief affair with "M.," an arrogant music professor in his late 40s. Cruelly exploiting the overweight, love-starved woman, M. forced Franny to submit to a humiliating gamut of outre sexual practices. Convinced that M. is Franny's murderer, Nora sets out to prove his guilt by pretending to submit to his depraved aberrations. But, to her astonishment, she discovers a dark, pagan side of herself when M. enthralls her with intense, if perilous, sexual pleasure. Graphic descriptions of exotic sexual practices (bondage and discipline, sadomasochism, bestiality, etc.) accumulate, counterpointed by Nora's sweetly romantic relationship with a fellow reporter. The suspense, a bit attenuated by thin secondary characters, also is muted by artless foreshadowing, but the conclusion is satisfying in a savage sort of way and Nora's plunge "down, all the way down" under M.'s manipulations will keep most readers gripped even as they're aware that Reese's shameless pandering is manipulating them in turn. Comparison to Story of O is well earned.
This is a dark thriller with some of the most thorough debasement of a character that I've ever read. The book has erotic themes, but it is definitively not erotica--it's a deep dive into the psyche of a sociopath. The writing is bracing and usually strong, though certain sections of the book tended to drag a bit.
None of the characters are likeable. The actions of the main sociopath are deeply awful.
Most people will not enjoy this book. I'm not even sure it's a book that one is meant to "enjoy" as much as one that makes you think about the ways people hurt each other.
None of the characters are likeable. The actions of the main sociopath are deeply awful.
Most people will not enjoy this book. I'm not even sure it's a book that one is meant to "enjoy" as much as one that makes you think about the ways people hurt each other.
