Once you get past the inspiring audacity of writing a book about the pursuit of female ejaculate (yeah, that’s the precious substance of the title)…oh, wait, no, you’re never going to get past that. You can’t. It’s too awesome, too out there.
But then, of course, this book is also about so much more. Love and murder and magic. There, a perfect combination. That’ll attract me to a book every time, even when it isn’t a book by the author of one of the best possession stories out there and if you haven’t read Come Closer do yourself a huge favor and grab it right now. It’ll spin your mind like a tumble cycle. Anyway, back to this one…this is a book about books. I love those. The main protagonist is a woman who once wrote books and is now making a living of selling them, specializing in rare and random. This change wasn’t by choice but by circumstance due to her beloved partner suddenly, inexplicably, and irrevocably turning into a vegetable. Vegetative states cost lots of money and take lots of care. Once Lily was 50% of the perfect literati couple in love, now she is a ghost of her former self. This ghost comes alive, though, when she hears about a very special book of sex magic that a client is willing to pay millions for. Suddenly, Lily sees her way out of her situation, and she pursues it with gusto. Teaming up with a friend of a strong romantic inclinations, she begins to hop from country to country from one eccentric moneyed weirdo to the next, looking for this book. So, that’s fun in and of. Itself, but there’s so much more here. Not only is it gorgeously written, not only is it so very smart, but it surprises you too. The ending was just about perfect. Just when I was thinking maybe this is too much sex and indulgence and pursuit of purely somatic pleasures to read about, that ending came along and elevated the entire production to the top and through the roof. Turns out it was a murder mystery novel too. Awesome. Turns out it was a morality lesson too. Awesome once again. Lily’s transformation is a stunner and that last chapter is a moral fable at its finest, a perfect cautionary tale of the dangers of getting what one wants the most, a perfect meditation of the mutuality of love. So yeah, wow, what a book. Loved it. A stunning literary thriller. A magical book about magic. Take your pick…but do pick it up. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2023
Categories |