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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
"The moral of the tale is this: whoever allows himself to be whipped, deserves to be whipped."
By today's standards, "Venus" is rather PG-13 and more about soul-crushing emotional dependency than a portrayal of scintillating sexual role playing. Regardless, the characters are a bit like objects in a painting - beautifully illustrated on the surface but lacking personal depth - and it's never clear what Wanda's or Severine's true emotions are. Is there any authentic connection lurking underneath the layers of their sub-dom relationship or is their attraction limited to their inversely proportional desires?
And so it goes with Venus in Furs... I'm a bit surprised someone hasn't turned Sacher-Masoch's tale of love, desire, and S&M into a full-on Marie Antoinette-style Hollywood punk-rock costume drama. Seriously, can't you picture a titian-hair Kirsten Dunst administering the shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather to Jason Schwartzman while Johnny Thunders' Hurt Me gently cascades in the background? ;-)
Fortunately, this one is a quick read, so you can easily satisfy your curiosity and be done with it.
By today's standards, "Venus" is rather PG-13 and more about soul-crushing emotional dependency than a portrayal of scintillating sexual role playing. Regardless, the characters are a bit like objects in a painting - beautifully illustrated on the surface but lacking personal depth - and it's never clear what Wanda's or Severine's true emotions are. Is there any authentic connection lurking underneath the layers of their sub-dom relationship or is their attraction limited to their inversely proportional desires?
And so it goes with Venus in Furs... I'm a bit surprised someone hasn't turned Sacher-Masoch's tale of love, desire, and S&M into a full-on Marie Antoinette-style Hollywood punk-rock costume drama. Seriously, can't you picture a titian-hair Kirsten Dunst administering the shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather to Jason Schwartzman while Johnny Thunders' Hurt Me gently cascades in the background? ;-)
Fortunately, this one is a quick read, so you can easily satisfy your curiosity and be done with it.
Based on what I know of this book (coupled with the intriguing cover) I was very excited to read this! It starts out as some quasi-romance between the narrator and a statue of Venus. Nothing weird there then... but it develops into a very sad semi-sexual BDSM relationship between Severin and Wanda. It's almost disturbing how Severin fawns over Wanda; begs, pleads, implores her to hurt him in every way imaginable. But it is imperative to their agreement that she be wearing her furs. I reckon the guy would get a hard-on if she killed him. Wanda on the other hand is so fickle she's almost a caricature of a female stereotype - the cruel mistress who toys with her admirers emotions because she's shallow and because she can.
In short: I was expecting sauce and I didn't get sauce!
In short: I was expecting sauce and I didn't get sauce!
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather."
The Velvet Underground song is obviously a certified psychedelic classic with some of the most vivid lyrical imagery ever written. The book it's based on is about some sicko BDSM relationship. The conclusion of the book is basically the narrator kink-shaming himself. I think Severin's biggest problem is his inability to separate his bedroom life and his daily life. Bro wants to live in a sadomasochistic relationship for his entire life when most people limit it to the bedroom only.
Anyhow I think this illustrates the slippery slope of these relationships, and the nature of women's relationship with men. The writing is simple and effective, while Severin's impassioned speech is incredibly vivid and emotional I sometimes get second hand embarrassment. It's truly a really cringe book at times, both in good and bad ways. Despite his flaws, I do sorta like Severin's character. I personally feel like he doesn't actually know what he wants. His desires fluctuate - he longs for the whip for sexual pleasure but he also fears the whip. In a way it's almost like his natural instincts and manhood preventing him from fully embracing his role as a slave.
Wanda on the other hand is more inconsistent in a way that's puzzling. It's difficult to decipher what she truly feels, if at a given point of time she truly cares about Severin.
But anyhow I don't exactly like the concluding moral statement, that Severin's desire is a disease that needs to be cured by indulging his own fantasies. It is true that Severin's kinks are on the more extreme side of things, but this also feels like the author shutting down an entire idea. Basically it feels like the author is trying to be progressive but also not progressive at the same time.
"That woman, as nature has created her, and man at present is educating her, is man’s enemy. She can only be his slave or his despot, but never his companion. This she can become only when she has the same rights as he and is his equal in education and work."
The Velvet Underground song is obviously a certified psychedelic classic with some of the most vivid lyrical imagery ever written. The book it's based on is about some sicko BDSM relationship. The conclusion of the book is basically the narrator kink-shaming himself. I think Severin's biggest problem is his inability to separate his bedroom life and his daily life. Bro wants to live in a sadomasochistic relationship for his entire life when most people limit it to the bedroom only.
Anyhow I think this illustrates the slippery slope of these relationships, and the nature of women's relationship with men. The writing is simple and effective, while Severin's impassioned speech is incredibly vivid and emotional I sometimes get second hand embarrassment. It's truly a really cringe book at times, both in good and bad ways. Despite his flaws, I do sorta like Severin's character. I personally feel like he doesn't actually know what he wants. His desires fluctuate - he longs for the whip for sexual pleasure but he also fears the whip. In a way it's almost like his natural instincts and manhood preventing him from fully embracing his role as a slave.
Wanda on the other hand is more inconsistent in a way that's puzzling. It's difficult to decipher what she truly feels, if at a given point of time she truly cares about Severin.
But anyhow I don't exactly like the concluding moral statement, that Severin's desire is a disease that needs to be cured by indulging his own fantasies. It is true that Severin's kinks are on the more extreme side of things, but this also feels like the author shutting down an entire idea. Basically it feels like the author is trying to be progressive but also not progressive at the same time.
"That woman, as nature has created her, and man at present is educating her, is man’s enemy. She can only be his slave or his despot, but never his companion. This she can become only when she has the same rights as he and is his equal in education and work."
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"If you love me then be cruel to me."
Wanda von Dunajew, with and without her furs, is Venus in the flesh. Akin to Delilah and Helen of Troy. The face and body that could launch a thousand ships. In his manuscript, Severin is madly obsessed with her.
I speak from someone born in the 20th century—while bdsm is not considered a mental illness today, Severin's obsession with Wanda has to be considered borderline maladaptive. Personally, I think he's conjured a concept of her in his head, based off all the pleasure he's received from the cruel women in his life and he's sticking to it obsessively, his "beautiful female ideal". Freud would've had a blast with this book for sure and I don't want to imagine Freud being happy with anything.
I don't quite enjoy the objectification. Sure, he worships her and love bombs and assures her every whip she inflicts is wanted, but all the pleasure is just for HIM. Wanda was initially reluctant to go through it but he insisted they go through all the motions and when Wanda finally does, he complains? He never asks if this is making Wanda feel good too. Hurt me, he said and when Wanda does he starts whining and whining and begs her to stay. And after inciting all this the lesson he picks up is that women are enemies? Pathetic guy.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not particularly well written, but notable in that it was so shocking and different for its time. The play "Venus in Furs" (which was inspired by the book but not exactly like it) was recently on stage in Boston and got great reviews.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Intriguing, and certainly historically important, but quite repetitive. Also interesting for how avant-garde the female role is. Our dear Leopold was kind of a visionary.
-Ça veut dire que vous êtes désormais mon esclave sans illusions et que je vous piétinerai sans pitié.
-MADAME !
Je comprends à présent ce qu'est l'éros masculin.
“and when nature does triumph in us, when we abandon ourselves in burning passion to such a woman, her cheerful joie de vivre strikes us as demonic, as cruel, and we see our bliss as a sin that we must atone for.”
this book felt like an ode to woman in her most natural form and completely changed the chemistry of my brain.
i highlighted so many quotes and it would be impossible to include all of them in this review but i’ll end it with this:
“i was both delighted and horrified by the hardness, the severity of the marble countenance, by the icy coquetry with which the splendid woman drapes her charms in the dark sable furs”.
this book felt like an ode to woman in her most natural form and completely changed the chemistry of my brain.
i highlighted so many quotes and it would be impossible to include all of them in this review but i’ll end it with this:
“i was both delighted and horrified by the hardness, the severity of the marble countenance, by the icy coquetry with which the splendid woman drapes her charms in the dark sable furs”.