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History of a Pleasure Seeker Introduction of the ebook: History of a Pleasure Seeker
Đánh giá : 3.45 /5 (sao)
Piet Barol, the titular pleasure seeker, is a priapic, ambitious young man come to seek his fortune in belle époque Amsterdam. Unlike Frédéric Moreau in Flaubert’s L’Éducation sentimentale (to which this book owes no meagre debt), Piet is magnificently gifted, not only “extremely attractive to most women and to many men,” but also a fine pianist, draughtsman and lover. We Piet Barol, the titular pleasure seeker, is a priapic, ambitious young man come to seek his fortune in belle époque Amsterdam. Unlike Frédéric Moreau in Flaubert’s L’Éducation sentimentale (to which this book owes no meagre debt), Piet is magnificently gifted, not only “extremely attractive to most women and to many men,” but also a fine pianist, draughtsman and lover. We first meet him interviewing for the role of tutor to the son of the wealthy hotelier, Maarten Vermeulen-Sickerts. All is not well in his gilded household. Egbert, the son, is agoraphobic. The matriarch, Jacobina, hasn’t been touched by her husband in almost a decade. Into this highly strung atmosphere comes Piet, charged with the task of freeing Egbert from his paralysing fear of the outside world. We soon realise, however, that Egbert isn’t the only one in need of help. Piet sets about liberating the libidos of the repressed family through music – championing bawdy Bizet over abstract Bach – and oral sex. While the setting is Dutch, the influences are French – think Bel-Ami, Les Liaisons dangereuses and Gide’s L’Immoraliste. …more
Review ebook History of a Pleasure Seeker
For the first 50 pages or so of this novel, I was wondering whether I’d accidentally purchased a bodice-ripping Harlequin novel for middle-aged ladies. Having finished the book in only two sittings (and enjoyed quite a lot of it), I now prefer to think of it as an “erotic picaresque novel” (a bodice-ripper by any other name… 🙂
Smoothly written, with a keen eye for historical detail in its analysis of an upper-class family in 1907 Amsterdam, the story takes some odd twists and turns as the pro For the first 50 pages or so of this novel, I was wondering whether I’d accidentally purchased a bodice-ripping Harlequin novel for middle-aged ladies. Having finished the book in only two sittings (and enjoyed quite a lot of it), I now prefer to think of it as an “erotic picaresque novel” (a bodice-ripper by any other name… 🙂
Smoothly written, with a keen eye for historical detail in its analysis of an upper-class family in 1907 Amsterdam, the story takes some odd twists and turns as the protagonist seeks to better himself in society. The main character, however, is also the main problem of this novel: a man of so many qualities as to be highly improbable. A good scholar, linguist (a cunning linguist, even), with a beautiful singing voice and an instinct for ingratiating oneself – quite possible. Extremely good-looking – fair enough. Rippling muscles that show through the fabric of his suit – a bit improbable, since no muscle-building physical activity is ever described. Highly intelligent, but without intellectual depth. Ruthlessly straight, but setting off the gaydar of every man around, married or not (the fact that the protagonist still has some unresolved mommy issues may have to do with that). The story becomes even more unhinged when the hero boards an ocean vessel that for all the longing male stares and swimming pool romps probably was the first gay cruise in history. My frustration was probably only caused because friends had spoken so highly that I was expecting an accomplished novel. As it stood, I did enjoy it – I only wish I could have read this erotic fantasy for ladies & gay men by the pool with a cocktail, where it belongs.
…more
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