Helpful Score: 2
I am one of those readers that is not easily shocked...My opinion of this book is high because of the imagination that Anne Rice put into it...She is an amazing yarn spinner!!! This book is NOT for the easily blushed...This is a book for a reader with a wide open mind and a nonjudgemental nature...Take it with a grain of salt and don't get your feminist panties in a bunch...I'm all for women's rights and I am a woman and I enjoyed this book very much!!! So, grab a cup of coffee, go sit in your favorite chair, and be prepared to take a journey unlike any that you have ever gone on before!!!
I requested this book after reading reviews of "Fifty Shades of Grey", which repeatedly said "Don't bother - read Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty books instead." The re-imagining of a fairy tale is an intriguing premise, but I'm not usually into S&M. For a while, all I could think was OK! Enough with the spanking already! But in fairness, she does a great job of giving life and depth to these unusual people, and by the end I was actually admiring Beauty as a strong female character. The author shows some strong insight into the psychology of abuse victims, which can be a little disturbing. Of course, there are some imaginative and lively sex scenes, along with the domination theme, but some surprisingly tender moments as well.
