The Story of O - Feedback wanted

Can someone who's read this give some pros and cons? Hershele, since I remember you saying you read it but aren't sure how to say it's not porn, would you mind expounding a little? I've looked at some things but I'd like some input before I go and read the whole book. I know it has a lot of BDSM in it, but is it really just pure porn?

Trivia - For some reason I was conflating The Story Of O with Virginia Woolf's Orlando until I started doing research on it. Weird.

edited 30th Apr '12 5:36:40 PM by Martello

I just requested it from my library, and assume it'll arrive in a day or two. I don't know if The Story of O is an urgent case, but if it isn't, I could probably read it in a couple of hours and get back to you in a few days?

edited 30th Apr '12 5:27:34 PM by LargoQuagmire

It's not urgent. Take your time, and I'm sure Hershele will find his way here eventually and have something to say. He always does.

Netflix has the movie available for streaming. I haven't seen it, but they generally draw the line at outright porn, though they do have stuff I'd call plot-with-porn.

ETA: I was actually surprised to see it on Netflix; what I've heard of it made it sound like something more porny than I'd expect them to carry.

edited 30th Apr '12 9:48:37 PM by Xtifr

I'd say this - it is historical porn. As in, it is unquestionably porn, but it is also historical literature, a Trope Codifier for future erotic literature and for some parts of BDSM artistry and symbolism, whether those things that were inspired by or descended from it in some way are pure porn, porn with plot, or even sexual but not to the degree of outright porn.

I personally think it needs the same treatment that precedent gave Playboy: it should be cleaned and locked, possibly left as a stub if it is that absolutely not tropeable without remaining clean.

edited 30th Apr '12 10:13:31 PM by AGroupie

I have a friend who had to read it as apart of his course, so if they're giving it out in unniversities it probably isn't porn.

There's an interesting feminist subtext to The Story Of O if you know anything about its history, but that aside: Pornography? Yes. Literature of merit? Also, yes. Should there be an article on it? Probably. Should anyone/everyone be able to edit said article? Probably not.

edited 1st May '12 2:29:42 AM by JHM

I think I have to agree here that this is one of those works we should list with a historical summary because it is culturally important, and then we keep it locked.

I'm inclined to go with Shima's suggestion.

Ditto.

From Wikipedia with my emphasis.

A little late, I think.

Having, ahem, "found my way here" after I was PMed, I want to emphasize that I haven't read it, and didn't intend to give the impression I had. What I know from subcultural osmosis is that it's Porn with Plot. Desclos/Réage wrote it as fap material for her boyfriend.

I can't really give a straight answer on what I think should be done with the page. I want to keep it as-is, mostly because of what A Groupie and JHM said, but I recognize that under the rules doing so would be questionable at best. If it's kept for historical valure but locked that's better, by that measure, than killing it entirely.

From what I've heard of it (granted, I've heard a LOT about it), The Story of O is unambiguously, clearly, and intentionally porn, but it ALSO is culturally important enough to get taught in universities.

It would definitely pass the Miller test, is what I'm saying.

University students are culturally deemed adults, though; that it's given to adults proves little.

I intended to skim the book, but I'd have had to go past riot police and request it. Make of my reluctance to do so what you will

Riot police? Would that be figurative or literal?

edited 1st May '12 11:25:01 AM by TwoGunAngel

Tbh, The Story of O isn't as bad as other works on the wiki and the story is about a couple in a D/s being shown how to do it. The couple is also shown to be consensual and there is a lot of character development.

There are May Day protests in some cities. I should have checked the library when I had the chance.

Just googled "May Day protests."

Hershele, I do not blame you one bit for not going out there.

I'm inclined to go with shima's suggestion. I take it that would include cutting the examples? I mean, it's basically a stub anyway, so its not a huge deal either direction.

Yeah, cut the examples. Leave a description and a note about why it's studied in schools, lock it and call it a day.

Literal, the protest was in the park behind the NYPL.

Anyway, I'm surprised this has an angel while another work that's more plotty has two devils, but, off-topic.

Okay, so I'm hearing from everyone else and the other 5P members that we should cut examples of this and lock. Any issues, or can we go ahead and make it happen?

Hollered to have the examples cut and page locked. Done.