I went back and read the post this morning and not just the comments. Not the kind of spoilers to spoil the book for me, Instead I want to finish it even faster now.
This part right here:
(And since it's so obviously fantasy fodder -- you know that precious few people, exposed to the reality of a relationship where all the intimacy was based in fear or anger or dominance or competition, would actually stay in that relationship. And that knowing makes everything in those books, the people and the plots and everything, less real to the reader.)
I think you nailed right here why I have an almost physical aversion to fantasy where the only basis for a relationship or intimacy is based on fear and dominance, etc. The reality of that is not fun and the fantasy version less so.
And it doesn't matter how kinky or plain vanilla the sex in a book is, it's the relationship between the people having sex that counts. Unhealthy relationship = unhealthy sex. Unhealthy balance of power = unhealthy sex.
There has to be a pretty damn valid and huge thematic reason for that set up way in advance for me not to recoil and put the book down. There needs to be some character revelation or a hard lesson learned and some moving on from there. A point in other words.
That point can consist of a character discovering the strength to break free or realizing that he/she needs the twisted aspect for some reason or whatever. There are many valid points to be made about power and dominance.
Otherwise...it comes off to me as a personal kink of the author's or a calculated way To Sell Books Full Of Naughty Things.
Which is not the same to my mind as a good reason to write such scenes or a book that contains them.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-01-25 05:25 pm (UTC)This part right here:
(And since it's so obviously fantasy fodder -- you know that precious few people, exposed to the reality of a relationship where all the intimacy was based in fear or anger or dominance or competition, would actually stay in that relationship. And that knowing makes everything in those books, the people and the plots and everything, less real to the reader.)
I think you nailed right here why I have an almost physical aversion to fantasy where the only basis for a relationship or intimacy is based on fear and dominance, etc. The reality of that is not fun and the fantasy version less so.
And it doesn't matter how kinky or plain vanilla the sex in a book is, it's the relationship between the people having sex that counts. Unhealthy relationship = unhealthy sex. Unhealthy balance of power = unhealthy sex.
There has to be a pretty damn valid and huge thematic reason for that set up way in advance for me not to recoil and put the book down. There needs to be some character revelation or a hard lesson learned and some moving on from there. A point in other words.
That point can consist of a character discovering the strength to break free or realizing that he/she needs the twisted aspect for some reason or whatever. There are many valid points to be made about power and dominance.
Otherwise...it comes off to me as a personal kink of the author's or a calculated way To Sell Books Full Of Naughty Things.
Which is not the same to my mind as a good reason to write such scenes or a book that contains them.