The Story of O ( Histoire d’O ) was published in 1954 by the French author named Anne Desclore, age 47. who wrote under the pen name Pauline Reage and also later under the pen name Dominique Aury. The book was published by Jean-Jacques Pauvert and was later published in english by the Olympia Press in 1965. The book was known as the best seller in france and during the 60s was the best selling contemporary novel in france.
In the book the chapters are not referred to as chapters but they are referred to as pages. Through research, it is revealed that Anne Desclore wrote the book as a series of Love Letters to her lover Jean Paulhan for which she was conducting a love affair with for a period of time. Paulhan admired the works known as the Marquis De Sade and told Desclore that a woman could not write in a similar fashion. The letters themselves is some twisted depiction within the minds of the author over the true nature of females of the time, or their place within society in a way. Is this true? It really isn’t entirely sure to be honest.
There are several speculations as to why the end came out the way it did with the very abrupt ending to the relationship between Sir Stephen and O. One of my speculations is that perhaps it had to do with something which transpired between Paulhan and Desclore and perhaps a tragic ending to that of their relationship in some form. The understanding of the very nature of their relationship as Paulhan was a married man in a relationship and this was a love affair for which was transpiring between both of them that perhaps the characters within the story might actually be images of their relationship together in some form of fancy. However, there was no research which I could find to conclude such a thought it was an inference for which I drew myself.
Another speculation was that O had used her submission in order to actually manipulate men in a way and maybe this lead to why the book ended the way for which it did when the men who had taken her had finally found out about this said manipulation for which took place, which is another speculation as to why the book ended but unlikely in this stance, but it was an interesting way to look over the ending.
In a video interview Desclore speaks that she wrote the letter to “Please him, to occupy him, to interest him. She needed something to interest a man like him… it was a love letter destined for him. ” They met during the wall and were apart of the french resistance (War world I). They were colleges and they were also lovers. It is found out that there was quite a period of time for which passed before Anne Desclore stepped forward and announced that she in fact wrote the books. She states in the documentary that she waited because she wanted her parents to be dead… and give time for the scandal to settle and disappear, before she came out and revealed she was in fact the writer. For a long time there was quite a mystery to who wrote the piece, including whether it was written by a man or was it written by a female?
The documentary goes into how the book could only been written by a man. Desclore says in an interview that she is a woman who asserts her choices in the sexual domain.
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“The purest and wildest love always sanctioned or rather always demanded the most frightful surrender.”
“There is always someone within us who we chain, who we imprison who we silence by curious kind of reverse shock that the prison itself can open the gates of freedom”
Roses need care and love in order to grow, just like every living thing on this planet of ours. Without love, a submission or slave won’t be able to blossom or rise up high on the top of mountains to share their love and devotion to the world. This is true about submission and why I believe the very end of the book went its way. Sir Stephen took his “love” away from O. This killed her inside and destroyed that for which she was and who she was… her life was over…
This has been something for which has been discussed over time when it comes to dependency. Take away every bit of a person individualism and completely drown them in a life of slavery where every ounce of their lives is micro managed to the point where they have no life, they have no freedoms, then what is left. I have seen this happen first hand and then suddenly the Dominant passes away or the relationship ends for one thing or another… what is the submissive or slave left with? They cannot survive on their own in such ways and are able to build up and step forward on their own and lot of times end up becoming smothered in their emotions and feelings.
When we look at Sadists sometimes, some have asked why is it that, I myself as a Sadist can make another person suffer? Do I do so just for my own instant gratifications? I think this is what differs a lifestyle sadist from a sadist where a sadist does such because he is looking to fill his needs, where a lifestyle sadist does this because he loves her, because he is fulfilling in herself a need for which she needs or wants as a masochist and desires and in the exchange of energy for which He receives when He gives her what she wants and responds to him giving him back energy, then that is the mixture for which makes it a good lifestyle connection.
In the book, why is O terrified about SS falling in love with her, having feelings for her and knowing that he is and knowing that she knows it? Its simple in the writings which happens after it. She’s afraid that he’s no longer going to be able to control, going to be able to lead because he’s scared now to hurt her because he has emotions invested into her now. He feels that he would give in to her over things, that he will let things slip and slide… You see by the overcompensation which happens, and even some scenes of jealousy and insecurity for which happens. The punishing her because the boys used her sexually which happens very close to the end. The wanting to grant her release because of “Eric” which transpires, and then ultimately the entire bit about him abandoning her at the very end and then giving his conscent for her to kill herself…..
I also wanted to wonder why did SS not do the markings himself. If it was me, I would want to make such markings with my own hand for the energy for which is behind the markings. I don’t think he was capable of doing it and why it was pushed off to another and on top of that a Female Dominant really in another twisted sexual exploitation which I think was trying to revive some of the chateau’s strength and fantasy but because it was done overboard and over the top it went out of control and it was from the St. Cloud scene and forward which SS began to loose control, loose control of not just her but himself which is a dangeous thing for a dominant or Master to do. Anne-Marie was an interesting character and maybe one of the more balanced characters on a emotional or mental scale in the book but she was also what I would refer to as a “Switch” in sense, which she was both submissive and dominant.
“Love” is a complex thing but for all relationships love is an important thing and even so far as comes before obedience.. Respect… Trust… Honesty… Love… Obedience the foundation or building blocks for a healthy relationship… Now there is a very firm difference between being and loving and being IN love with someone. Here at Austin, I will grow to love these girls, grow to protect them, grow to share with them many fond emotional moments together… I will grow to care and cherish the gifts for which they give me in their submission but I am not in love with them.. That type of love is shared for my two girls who I am involved with rt and no one can replace that type of love, but I will love the girls here at Austin…
I control because I want to love and within that love is for which I control. These people out there are people who want to be controlled, they want to be dominated, they want to feel the hand of a Master upon them, leading them and guiding them, making their lives complete in a way for which cannot be completed in other ways. This is the very core of what a Dominant is. Its not just to lead in a scene, its not just to lead occasionally, leading and controlling is a totality, its something for which happens every moment… There submissives who need stronger leading then others, and there are certainly differences between simple power exchanges and those of “total” power exchanges for which happen… The man in a dance with a woman leads and guides her with his hands, his movements, his steps and sometimes his words… thats what we as Dominants do and have to have the strength to control, to lead the way, to pull the strings of the puppets under us, but not do it because we have some kink or something we want to fulfill inside ourselves without any care for the submissive… but because………….
we love them………..