Sweet Vernal Zephyr

Story of O
by Pauline Réage

O is a young, beautiful fashion photographer in Paris. One day her lover, Rene, takes her to a chateau, where she is enslaved, with Rene's approval, and systematically sexually assaulted by various other men. Later, Rene turns O over to Sir Stephen, an English friend who intensifies the brutality. But the final humiliation is yet to come.

• BDSM
• Dubious Consent
• Whipping
• Multiple partners
• F/F
• M/F
• Piercing
• Branding
• Youth voyeur

• Welcome to the training ground. She is transformed. Before she was indulgent, after she is docile.
• An eye opener. I had to force myself to finish it. Not because the writing is sub par, but the content is... scalding. Harsh. I prefer cruelty to be absent.
• The rules the women must obey create a world. Forced nudity strips away modesty and self-consciousness, creating a pride or ownership of your own skin.
• I really chafe against the submission of the women. I know, I know. This is a book about Dominance and submission. There is a very strong hierarchy established. Women are at the bottom. Men at the top. But they are lifted there partially by submission. But also by fear. I don't like the fear. But O does call it "sweet terror". So she likes it. And that is all that matters.
• The lover is sweet with his love. He is obviously a Sadist... and wishes for O to be a masochist. In truth, she will be anything he wants her to be. That is how deep her love and submission delve. Straight through her heart and being to the bottom of herself.

Stephen:

• Master 2 becomes the master of all. 
• J is seduced. 
• Natalie begs and Stephen consents with the intention of offering her as a Virgin sacrifice to Riossey.

Anne-Marie:

• Final training and tagging. 
• O comes into her feminine surety.

Owl:

• Beautiful masks
• Limited sexual descriptions
• Complete objectification of O
• Questionable presence of Natalie.

End:

• I have heard about the movie, but also I have heard that it is a very bad representation of the book.
• Safe, Sane & Consensual is in question.
• The version I obtained from my library was published in 1984 by Ballantine Books. It includes 2 introductions and a preface (which include spoilers). 
• The last chapter and alternate ending are suppressed, replaced with a three line synopsis. WTF!? <-- Note the increased emotion in my writing style here? I was all ready to be outraged in the face of censorship. BUT my college librarian tells me this is, indeed, the correct ending to the book. It leaves you hanging and forced you to imagine just what happens to O and therefore makes it intensely more personal.  

I received this book from my local library and read it with my local BDSM book club.

Read a sentence from page 56 HERE.

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Sweet daydreams...

THE 5th SENTENCE

"Yes, a white pleated nylon nightgown, tailored and tasteful like the clothing of Egyptian statuettes, an almost transparent nightgown was unfolded on the edge of the bed, on the side where o slept."

~ page 56, The Story of O by Pauline Reage

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