Customer Reviews
Beautiful, powerful and sensual classic - By: Liz, 03 Nov 2008 
Having read other readers' reviews (which I enjoy doing), it appears that this book has a very mixed bag reception. You either love it or hate it. I'm with the former camp. The book was beautifully written, tasteful & elaborative in its description & representation of the needs of a woman to totallly & unconditionallly submit. I also like the ancilliary characters of Jacqueline & Nathalie, two sisters who have differences of opinion to O's self-expression, in that one gets it & the other does not. It is a serious read that is indeed not for those who are easily shocked. Indeed, it must have been quite an eye opener when it was a contemporary piece of erotic literature. It covers not only flagellation & bondage, but also other genres of BDSM, such as piercings, corsetry & scarification. For those rated between 1 & 3 stars, & found the story hard to follow, I would advise to read it again. I have read it twice & although I enjoyed the first outing, the second trip brought a more clarified & indepth understanding.
An erotic masterpiece - By: D. Arceneaux, 12 Dec 2007 I don't know what I could possibly add to any discussion of this erotic masterpiece, so I'm happy just to contribute my voice to the chorus of praise. Miss Reage's "love letter" is as potent now as it ever was. Please give us more strong, self-assured women like Pauline Reage, Belle de Jour & Niki Flynn!
Could not put it down - By: Sarah Lakey, 05 Sep 2007 This is a book which I had often heard of but never reallly come accross. Afer starting the book i found i could not put it down as it is just so entertaining. At first you think what on earth? Why is this woman alllowing her lover to treat her like this? As soon as you carry on reading it soon becomes obvious just how complex this character is. As a fan of alll gothic like books this is the best one by far. Sometimes the language can get a bit confusing as it is not that clear but you soon become accustomed to this & reallly become engaged with the story.
Outdated Much? - By: G. Piper, 08 Feb 2007 
Don't get me wrong, I found this book compelling & could hardly put it down. Although the way it is written is impossible to read & follow the plot. You will find yourself in one place & time & within a sentance something completly different is going on in an entirely different setting.
I agree it's a must read for anyone with a bit of kink inside them but make sure you give it your full attention or you will struggle!
good read - By: T. McFadyen, 22 Jun 2006 
Telling the story of a woman who is so in love with her lover that she is willing to endure pain & humiliation, "The Story of O" is not for the faint hearted, or in fact the weak stomached.
After reading this book & wanting someone elses opinion on it, i have passed it on to my friends. All 4 of them that a passed it too, have been unable to read it, claiming it too be 'sick' & 'disgusting'. In fact, so many people who read this book, miss the point of it entirely, or don't read far enough to understand the beauty of the story.
My only let down about it was that, even written decades ago, it still feels like a book written with a sequal in mind. And don't even get me started on the paragraph containing the "Alternate Ending." My initial feeling about the ending is that Reage intended to make the alternate ending the ACTUAL ending, but was then advised against it as it closed any doors for another book. A great shame.
Apart from this, a truely beautiful, but greatly misunderstood story.
