Sasha Grey’s Juliette Society [review]

Posted by MandiLea02

When I first heard that Sasha Grey was writing an erotic novel, I was genuinely excited. While I was concerned about the technical skill that may or may not be present in her writing, a former adult performer seemed like the perfect author for a risqué and unapologizing sexual fantasy.

At first glance, The Juliette Society seems to be about a secret sex society for the rich & powerful, its name inspired by The Marquis de Sade. The blurb on the back cover is Fight Club-esque, but with sex. You do not talk about The Juliette Society. The main character, Catherine, is our window into this world, willing to tell us what happens behind closed doors.

However, as I read the book, I found that synopsis misleading. The novel is not so much about The Juliette Society as it is about Catherine herself. It’s a coming of age story of sorts; a sexual awakening of a 20-something college student. We, as readers, are the audience for her own personal fantasies, and her struggle to reconcile them with reality. As she interacts with individuals who are more sexually liberated than her, she questions where the line is that she shouldn’t cross. What will happen if she goes too far? Will her relationship survive? What does she truly desire?

The Good

I was genuinely impressed with Grey’s writing. As erotica publishers seem to favor quantity over quality, I’m always relieved to find an author who has a grasp on the English language and a new perspective to offer. Don’t come into this book expecting tedious descriptions of how “his large, throbbing member entered her wet slit.” Instead, you can expect a full chapter dedicated to her explorative (and rather interesting) thoughts on “come.”

Grey’s greatest talent is in her character voice. Catherine is three-dimensional: not strictly good or bad, but a realistic gray area of personhood. Although it is written in first person, she is not a blank slate for readers to project themselves onto. She has her own interests and desires. She is witty, educated, and stronger than most female leads in the romance genre (even if she is somewhat dependent on her boyfriend for happiness). Her level of introspection provides a dimension not commonly seen in erotic literature.

The Bad

Although Grey’s attention to character made this book start out as a pleasurable read, I eventually needed more. In the story, (film student) Catherine keeps overstating that “plot is subservient to character,” but in The Juliette Society, plot becomes smothered by character. The entire story traps readers inside Catherine’s head. We don’t get a real, honest glimpse at the personalities or motives of the other characters. We don’t learn anything about the society that the novel is named for. (Catherine only visits twice.) It’s barely even discernible what is happening in Catherine’s daydreams vs. what is happening in her real life.

This might not have been a problem if it was only meant to be a story of sexual awakening, but that’s not the case. There is a largely neglected element of crime & mystery that surrounds The Society. Without a deliberate build up of suspense, the major plot twist feels contrived. The ending falls flat. Plus, it perpetuates negative stereotypes by once again connecting fetishism with murder.

The relationship between the main character and her boyfriend, Jack, also left me feeling uneasy. There’s a complete lack of communication. Catherine is secretive and Jack usually comes off as uninterested. There’s a lot of shame & guilt surrounding sex. Ultimately, Catherine shuts off the part of herself that desires more taboo activities in the bedroom in order to save the relationship. This doesn’t seem healthy.

Worth reading?

I could take it or leave it. Although I enjoyed The Juliette Society more than a lot of recent erotica, it’s difficult for me to consider it a part of that genre. I was never aroused by what I was reading. It always seemed more like general fiction, with added sexual aspects. And when compared with the quality standards of general fiction, The Juliette Society just didn’t stack up. However, this being Grey’s first novel, perhaps we can hope for a stronger sequel.

Popular BDSM Erotica: Damaged & Diluted

Posted by MandiLea02

What images come to mind when you think of BDSM practitioners? Do you picture a loving, committed couple in the privacy of their own bedroom or a strict, leather clad Dominatrix in a public dungeon? Are they plagued by mental illness or are they leading happy, healthy lives volunteering at your local soup kitchen? Or do you envision a group so diverse that it can include any combination of these and more?

Some time ago, I read an article in Sadomasochism: Powerful Pleasures called “Mainstreaming Kink: The Politics of BDSM Representation in the U.S. Popular Media” by Margot D. Weiss.¹ While the entire book was one that I would highly recommend, this entry in particular really stuck with me. Why? Because Weiss much more eloquently states what I have been thinking for years: more media representation does NOT necessarily lead to a more widespread acceptance or understanding of BDSM. Quality over quantity, people.

Weiss makes her case by pointing out two ways that BDSM is often portrayed: (1) by “normalizing” and (2) by “pathologizing” the behavior. While her article deals specifically with the film Secretary, I couldn’t help but also apply what Weiss was saying to the recent trend of BDSM erotica. Here, the act of “normalizing” makes a moderate amount of sense from a business standpoint. The target market for erotica largely overlaps with romance paperbacks. The classic BDSM storyline where a girl enters into a 24/7 power exchange (with intense training & canes that cause bruising welts) scares a lot of those readers. Therefore, in order to sell more books, authors substitute a diluted version of BDSM that feels risky to the vanilla crowd, but ends at blindfolds and handcuffs. (Some, like E.L. James, even have their “Dominant” abandon BDSM once they fall in love, replacing it with a desire for marriage and children.)

Although this limited view is somewhat annoying, it’s Weiss’ research on “pathologizing” that worries me the most, because it senslessly threatens the BDSM community. The most popular example is, of course, E.L. James’ Fifty Shades Trilogy. Christian’s backstory includes being physically abused as a child as well as sexually manipulated as a teenager by a much older woman. He goes into therapy, admits that he basically beats women that remind him of his mother, and believes that his penchant for BDSM is a disease that Ana cures him of. Ana backs this belief up by constantly wondering how bad his past was to make him like the things that he does. Wow. While the BDSM community and many psychologists are working to revise the DSM’s criteria for sadomasochism, this nonsense is making the bestseller’s list.

We can’t even try to pretend that Fifty Shades is an isolated incident. What Happens After Dark by Jasmine Haynes is about a girl who was abused by her father. She uses BDSM to cope, engaging in potentially dangerous behavior with strangers. In Bared to You by Sylvia Day, both Gideon and Eva are victims of past abuse. Eva was sexually violated by a member of her family, Gideon by a childhood doctor. Their past abuse makes their passion more “raw and intense.”

These representations “enforce the boundaries between normal and not normal,” says Weiss. It leads to wrongful assumptions and discrimination. Court cases against those involved in BDSM are not a thing of the past. Individuals are still at risk for losing friends, lovers, family members, and careers because of a sexual behavior that others have deemed as “sick.” And in a time when erotica could easily be used to further the cause of sexual freedom with respectful, knowledgeable, and sex positive depictions, many authors are perpetuating an outdated view of the damaged individual who practices BDSM that is mildly kinky at best — and abusive at worst.

1. Margot D. Weiss. 2006. “Mainstreaming Kink: The Politics of BDSM Representation in U.S. Popular Media.” Journal of Homosexuality 50(2/3): 103-130.

You can also find an electronic copy of the article here.