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| So Much Rage. Grr |
This week has been long. It has been wet, cold, and dreary. Kind of like most pictures of Seattle, but in normally sunny Charleston, SC. And through this perfect reading weather, I trudged back through a story that bothered me to no end when I was 16. Due to several requests, I decided to give this very divisive novel a second chance to see if Alexa and Nick's romance could change my mind. I can normally clear a lengthy book in about 4-6 hours, if not a day. But this book has taken me since Monday get through.
The issue here is that while I hated this book at the age of 16, I couldn't quite pinpoint the reasons why. The rhyme and reason as to why this tale of love transcending the course of what I can only assume to be several years truly bothered me to my core. And now I can finally give a definitive answer.
While the book gives us luscious descriptions of steamy climates, beautiful sites and ruins, and a hero and heroine that are both somewhat damaged and quite deserving of each other, it also gives us elements of what could be considered levels of physical and emotional abuse as well as a heavy handed twisting of what BDSM is and represents. The book managed to make me wonder if Alexa and her never ending temper tantrums would ever truly grow up and learn that though there were restrictions in the mid 1800s, she still would have been able to be her own woman. It made me question how many women felt that Nick's brusque and quite frankly abusive way of speaking and dealing with Alexa was okay.
I seem to be getting ahead of myself, first here is some background on the book. It opens in the steamy near jungle climate of Ceylon, where our "heroine" is introduced as a tomboyish child woman who cannot accept the fact that she is indeed a woman. We spend a good quarter of the book with Alexa doing almost everything in her power not to throw tantrums only to give in and do so anyway. It's her 18th birthday and the governor appointed by the queen throws a coming out ball in her honor. So naturally the first night she is there she sneaks off, strips, and goes swimming in the governor's pool where there are several other people staying with no regards to her reputation or well-being. And is shortly thereafter interrupted by our "hero". Nick immediately swims up and starts kissing and belittling her as soon as humanly possible.
The duo then meet once again at her coming out ball and continue to throw barbs at each other. Which in a normal romance novel is par for the course. However in this particular book the insults come in the form of Nick calling our dear heroine everything from slut to b**** as often as he possibly can. Alexa and Nick's encounter in Ceylon is not the end of this tumultuous relationship. No these two run into each other after she is married off and subsequently becomes a widow, and then go on to torture each other through the entirety of a London season.
And this is where the book just drags to a grinding resounding halt for me, because this man does everything in his power to ruin her with no regards to the person he is already somewhat involved with, or her own happiness. Only his baser needs come before..I don't know, reason. He carries her off to a brothel, threatens her, and then is shocked when she acquiesces, only to continue to degrade her during the escapade. And yes, it may seem as though I am heaping all of the blame on Nick, I also have quite a rant for Alexa.
How does one stand by and get called a slut or whore to her own face, say and do nothing about it but pout, allow a man to just near violently and almost quite without consent have his sexual way with them and not feel as though he was completely insane and just all around terrible for them. But no, even when she knows that he is doing nothing short of being terrible, she still pursues him! Not to mention the fact that she makes some of THE most naive mistakes that I have ever seen. All because she doesn't want to be treated like other women. I am all for feminism, I support it wholeheartedly. However, she kept putting herself in harmful reckless situations all for the sake of not being like other women. When does one's personal safety and accountability trump the need to be edgy?
But, I digress. The story continues on with a paternity plot twist that puts Nick in danger in this really twisted sadomasochistic prison scene that strips his already flawed character even more and turns him into basically a non speaking non existent character through almost the remaining chapters of the book. The two marry and more turmoil ensues as Alexa figures out that she is pregnant but cannot deal with how withdrawn from relationship he has become. Not that he was exactly there to begin with but, moving on. In the end she flees back to Columbo in the hopes that she can have her child and forget about the man who has invaded every part of her life. Unfortunately it ends in a repeat of the opening of the book and Nick spouts his never ending love for her and how he needs her back.
While I do hate a majority of this book, the locations and settings are very well done. Some of the side characters are well fleshed out and to some, this book can be seen as endearing. However, having a whiny lead female and a domineering emotionally abusive male just doesn't sit too well with me. I tried to look at this one from a much different perspective but ended up just as angry as the first time I read it from start to finish. And the fact that this literary work is one of he most divisive books I have seen in the romance community speaks volumes of the pacing and growth of a stories characters.
In the end, I challenge everyone to give this book a read through and form your own opinion. Leave a comment below or on my Facebook page with what you thought. Did you enjoy it? Was she the heroine that we all needed? Or am I justified in my deep dislike of this work?
The duo then meet once again at her coming out ball and continue to throw barbs at each other. Which in a normal romance novel is par for the course. However in this particular book the insults come in the form of Nick calling our dear heroine everything from slut to b**** as often as he possibly can. Alexa and Nick's encounter in Ceylon is not the end of this tumultuous relationship. No these two run into each other after she is married off and subsequently becomes a widow, and then go on to torture each other through the entirety of a London season.
And this is where the book just drags to a grinding resounding halt for me, because this man does everything in his power to ruin her with no regards to the person he is already somewhat involved with, or her own happiness. Only his baser needs come before..I don't know, reason. He carries her off to a brothel, threatens her, and then is shocked when she acquiesces, only to continue to degrade her during the escapade. And yes, it may seem as though I am heaping all of the blame on Nick, I also have quite a rant for Alexa.
How does one stand by and get called a slut or whore to her own face, say and do nothing about it but pout, allow a man to just near violently and almost quite without consent have his sexual way with them and not feel as though he was completely insane and just all around terrible for them. But no, even when she knows that he is doing nothing short of being terrible, she still pursues him! Not to mention the fact that she makes some of THE most naive mistakes that I have ever seen. All because she doesn't want to be treated like other women. I am all for feminism, I support it wholeheartedly. However, she kept putting herself in harmful reckless situations all for the sake of not being like other women. When does one's personal safety and accountability trump the need to be edgy?
But, I digress. The story continues on with a paternity plot twist that puts Nick in danger in this really twisted sadomasochistic prison scene that strips his already flawed character even more and turns him into basically a non speaking non existent character through almost the remaining chapters of the book. The two marry and more turmoil ensues as Alexa figures out that she is pregnant but cannot deal with how withdrawn from relationship he has become. Not that he was exactly there to begin with but, moving on. In the end she flees back to Columbo in the hopes that she can have her child and forget about the man who has invaded every part of her life. Unfortunately it ends in a repeat of the opening of the book and Nick spouts his never ending love for her and how he needs her back.
While I do hate a majority of this book, the locations and settings are very well done. Some of the side characters are well fleshed out and to some, this book can be seen as endearing. However, having a whiny lead female and a domineering emotionally abusive male just doesn't sit too well with me. I tried to look at this one from a much different perspective but ended up just as angry as the first time I read it from start to finish. And the fact that this literary work is one of he most divisive books I have seen in the romance community speaks volumes of the pacing and growth of a stories characters.
In the end, I challenge everyone to give this book a read through and form your own opinion. Leave a comment below or on my Facebook page with what you thought. Did you enjoy it? Was she the heroine that we all needed? Or am I justified in my deep dislike of this work?
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