The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty
Published: 1983
Author: Anne Rice – (As) A. N. Roquelaure
Book 1 of 4: Sleeping Beauty
Genres: Adult, BDSM, Contemporary, Erotic, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Literature, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction
Check the summary of this book here:
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty Summary
The Review:
Anne Rice's The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is an ancient fairy tale with a disturbing twist. You will most likely be outraged if you are unfamiliar with the BDSM lifestyle. The focus of this narrative is on S&M. The scenes are quite vivid and violent. It reminds me of the novella "O." It chronicles Beauty's development and sexuality. Basically, it's an erotic fantasy about the life of a slave.
This is the original Fifty Shades of Grey, excluding the extraneous elements that I despise in that series. Beauty is a complex character with well-written internal issues. There isn't a single page devoted to pointless drama.
I really enjoy how the fairy tale mood is consistently emphasized in a fresh and consistent manner. The "forms of punishment" have a purpose as well. Very creative, with a sinister undercurrent, and well-written.
I don't usually read erotica on purpose, but I wanted to read all of Anne Rice's books, so I chose to read the beauty series as well. I'm not a big admirer of this genre, but I still read other authors as a professional reviewer. As you could expect, I skip the portions that go beyond a certain level of sexualization and merely read them to see how the author writes. And I discovered that Anne Rice can write anything about anything and turn it into a masterpiece.
Yes, to a reader, this book is exactly what it appears to be, and the tale is straightforward, but I saw and handled it in a holistic manner, and I believed it was an allegory for our society.
Maybe Anne Rice meant it for us to uncover the actual meaning since I never read these sorts of books, or maybe I ponder too much and link things that have nothing to do with each other.
Simply read the following few paragraphs and make your own decision once you've finished the book.
Everyone who reads this book will be jolted out of their slumber. When read as an allegory, it tells a wonderful narrative about the subordinate roles that we all take on in order to function in society. We deal with it every day in traffic; we occasionally have domineering employers; we deal with folks who are a pain in the neck but to whom we must be kind.
Our whole lives are spent repressing our natural drives and inclinations in order to respect the rights of others; in that sense, the human is never truly free, and we are always slaves to the opinions and respect of others.
Anne Rice's narrative appears to be an analogy for military training, in which the purpose is to remove an individual's sense of personal identity and replace it with collective allegiance. Such supremacy is enforced in the military.
Consider the demands to be a "part of the team" in most enterprises. In private life, corporations frequently spend excessive amounts of money to build comparable loyalty.
Some women want dominance and will go to great lengths to satisfy others. It's just heartbreaking. This is the Sleeping Beauty's narrative.
If that's the case, Anne Rice's novel is a depiction of the agony some women go through in order to satisfy their husbands. Any woman who has been in that circumstance, or who has broken away from it, would relate and understand.
Because those sensations were a part of their first love, it will be thrilling and sexy for them. It's possible they'll try it again, but they won't be able to live with it for long.
Anne Rice touched on a common theme: dominance and the desire to please others. Some persons are referred to as "authoritarians" because they expect complete compliance.
Anne Rice was creative enough to apply it to some extremely sensitive topics among individuals, which, despite its strong erotica, makes the novel incredibly terrifying.
I'm thinking of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" and William Golding's "Lord of the Flies." William Golding speaks of a degenerating war for supremacy, and the necessity to humiliate the weaker.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn describes the small humiliations placed on prisoners to make them docile; Alexander Solzhenitsyn describes the petty humiliations forced on captives to make them compliant. Prison life is an excellent illustration of this type of behavior, with daily living resembling some of the humiliations inflicted on "Sleeping Beauty."
The name itself is degrading. Her true name is never mentioned, despite the fact that she was the "Sleeping Beauty." That's as insulting as always referring to a person by their number rather than their name, which is a typical habit in prison; or a controlling spouse's "Hey, you" or worse.
Anne Rice draws into some of our worst thoughts and creates a terrifying narrative based on them. This is a potent combo. Some readers will be offended by the sex, but it is an important aspect; the domination motif will enrage anybody who values individual liberty. However, if you read it at a level above that of a fairy tale, it will make you think. And maybe even weep. That is a nice thing.
Final Thoughts:
A trashy novel, in my opinion, could be written by virtually anyone with just the right amount of creativity. That's simple. But writing a book full of situational erotica that performs as erotica should, while also being entertaining and a little complex, is what distinguishes erotica from filthy books with a lot of dirty words—often misspelled—or even thinner books leading up to one encounter that is straight sex with no glimpse into the complexity behind the act. Which might be as energizing as the act itself.
Consider this... It's fun to read about a character being disciplined, but it's much more fun to be permitted into the other character's mind and delight in correcting them. Then there are the spectators, who let us inside their minds as they observe the action in front of them. Anne Rice's erotica is built in this way, and it's what makes her so excellent at it.
This book is set in a fantastic universe that is rich in historical and geographical information. Anne Rice delves into the worlds of sensuality and fairy tales. The characters are well-developed, and the setting is unique in both context and layout.
This is a world of consequence and the development of individuals who are born to rule the kingdoms from which they originate. This novel has not just charm and charisma, but also a slew of obstacles for the individuals that inhabit Anne Rice's kingdom's world and historical sphere.
This narrative is serious and graphic; it is not a happily ever after story until much later in the series, and it is debatable to use it as a descriptor of this story's telling.
Last but not least, I'd like to discuss the points and suggestions I made. Because I know many readers will be outraged by many of the events in this book, I believe I gave it far fewer points than it deserved. Second, I simply recommended 50 points for the reason, implying that you have the option of reading it or simply passing it.
This book and series are simply the yardstick against which the genre is measured.
Synopsis:
“From best-selling author Anne Rice, writing as A.N. Roquelaure, in the traditional folktale of "Sleeping Beauty", the spell cast upon the lovely young princess and everyone in her castle can only be broken by the kiss of a prince. It is an ancient story, one that originally emerged from and still deeply disturbs the mind's unconscious. Now Anne Rice's retelling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire. Here the Prince reawakens Beauty, not with a kiss, but with sexual initiation. His reward for ending the 100 years of enchantment is Beauty's complete and total enslavement to him…as Anne Rice explores the world of erotic yearning and fantasy in a classic that becomes, with her skillful pen, a compelling experience.”
Useful Search Related Words & Keywords:
Anne Rice, Character Development, Claiming Of Sleeping, Cup Of Tea, Faint Of Heart, Fifty Shades, Prince Alexi, Shades Of Gray, Shades Of Grey, Sleeping Beauty, Waste Of Time, Well Written
Rating: 70/100
Recommended: 50/100 Yes.
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