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The Sexual Life of Catherine M.

14 replies

spacemonkey · 04/05/2004 12:51

Anyone read this?

I picked it up last week and think it's really interesting

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LipstickMum · 04/05/2004 12:53

My dp bought it for 'me' at Christmas. I can't say I've read it from cover to cover, more dipped into it now and again. It's intriguing.

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spacemonkey · 04/05/2004 12:57

I was intrigued to find out more about her public life

here she is!

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spacemonkey · 04/05/2004 12:58

and here is an article about her from the Graun

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Thomcat · 04/05/2004 13:18

SM - Interesting - really??????? I thought it was SO boring. We all read it for our book club and all 12 of us hated it and thought it really boring. It's interesting that you thought it was interesting. I thought she didn't really give anything away, i had no real idea who she was / is etc. It was just group anal sex after group anal sex. Will look at your links and see if I can find anything more interesting.

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spacemonkey · 04/05/2004 13:22

I think it is her reticence about revealing herself that I find so interesting. And that is ironic considering how willing she was to reveal herself physically. She's an intellectual with a high powered job, and yet she followed this path of extreme promiscuity at the same time. I find it fascinating to consider what makes her tick and what would make anyone do what she did sexually. I honestly can't imagine how anyone COULDN'T find her interesting!!!

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bzhmum · 04/05/2004 13:47

I know what you mean about wondering what makes her tick, spacemonkey, none of that is actually revealed in the book, though - the only thing that is explicit about it is the listed descriptions of sex, which I too found v repetitive and boring after a while.
It kind of reminded me of some aspects of tracy emin's artwork, revealing details of her private/sex life to people, and letting them decide what they think, i suppose. but takes less time to look at an artwork than it does to read a whole book with nothing but sex in it - works better visually, i think.

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spacemonkey · 04/05/2004 13:50

I see where you're coming from, but personally I don't find her descriptions of the sexual activities she got up to boring or repetitive at all. I agree that you are expected to read between the lines to come to your own conclusions about her though. Still not finished the book, but it's really interesting to hear other views on it

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Thomcat · 04/05/2004 14:51

I know what you mean SM - and I would like to have known more about her but the book didn't give me that info which is what i found annoying and therefore was bored with reading about sex act after sex act with very liitle info on anything else. the link you provided was more interesting in that way so thanks for that.

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Heathcliffscathy · 04/05/2004 19:29

I have to confess, I had great expectations, but found her immensely boring...probably because thought the book might be erotic...errr, i think not (and believe me, it isn't because I can't handle explicit descriptions of sex)...

Yes, she's totally hidden. Evidently, she has extreme issues around emotional expression. She objectifies herself: to avoid objectification? to punish the male sex? to defend against hurt (too simplistic this one methinks, altho sometimes people's neuroses are incredibly mundane when stripped bare)...yawn...

I'm not fascinated by this kind of cold non-angst/angst...I'm slightly repulsed by it, but mostly find it impossible to be engaged with her person, either that presented us, or the one we are left to imagine...I found the book immensely self-indulgent.

Like I say, I'm probably just bitter in that I was looking for some erotic entertainment

Love disagreeing with you about things like this tho!

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spacemonkey · 04/05/2004 19:37

I didn't have any expectations at all, so that has probably made a difference. I agree she is an inscrutable character, and doesn't attempt to make the reader warm to her. The book is rather deadpan actually. I'm enjoying it though!

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