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Eine Fast Perfekte Beziehung
When Bill, a broke, would-be bestselling novelist, attends a friend's party, the last thing he expects is to meet the condescending but goddess-like Cassandra. He is even more surprised when she whisks him back to her place.
Thus begins the 'perfect' relationship, as Bill would say: no commitment, no consideration, no caring. Just sex - and none of that soppy love to get in the way, either. Or so he thinks. Once installed in Cassandra's flashy Hampstead house, all he has to do is write. And keep the house clean. And do the shopping. But it's a small price to pay. After all, Cassandra provides for his every need and fulfils his wildest sexual fantasies.
But before long, Bill finds that more and more of his time is taken up with daily chores, and it is beginning to affect his state of mind. As he feels his dignity and sense of self being eroded, he begins to wonder what is happening to him. And when he discovers the sinister truth about the real nature of his 'relationship' with the overpowering Cassandra, things take a very different turn...
Thus begins the 'perfect' relationship, as Bill would say: no commitment, no consideration, no caring. Just sex - and none of that soppy love to get in the way, either. Or so he thinks. Once installed in Cassandra's flashy Hampstead house, all he has to do is write. And keep the house clean. And do the shopping. But it's a small price to pay. After all, Cassandra provides for his every need and fulfils his wildest sexual fantasies.
But before long, Bill finds that more and more of his time is taken up with daily chores, and it is beginning to affect his state of mind. As he feels his dignity and sense of self being eroded, he begins to wonder what is happening to him. And when he discovers the sinister truth about the real nature of his 'relationship' with the overpowering Cassandra, things take a very different turn...
245 pages, Perfect Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 14, 2019
On the front cover: “Enjoyable and tautly paced”. Did we read the same book? If nothing else the pacing was so uneven. The first few pages caught me with some really interesting writing, but then … it devolved into more of a rant of a privileged young man who became disenchanted with his life because what he wanted didn’t come easily. Boo-hoo!
There are a few other good passages (see below) but I began to feel the story was just to give the author a place to put those passages rather than the passages enhancing the story, which was dull, predictable, and, especially at the end, terribly and unnecessarily drawn out.
Quotes that caught my eye
It is a simple law of physics (or biology … or maybe metaphysics) that, if you happen to be a man, where the balls go, the rest of the body follows. (13)
It must be inferred, thus, that God is neither omniscient nor omnipotent; just rather immature. Just like men. (52)
And here lies the greatest paradox of all, because if we were wise, we would know that, like the pot of gold at rainbow’s end, the fount of wisdom is a myth; a myth perpetrated by the scared to satisfy the insecure. If we were wise, we would make wise decisions. We would not eat junk food, we would not smoke tobacco, wee would not have unprotected sex in an era when such things may be fatal. We would not pollute our rivers nor irradiate the atmosphere. We would not murder defenceless men, women and children and dignify the act with a label, war, which by its very existence somehow suggests a justification for such terrible deeds. If we were wise we would feed, clothe and house the people of the world rather than squander our resources on weapons of mass destruction. If we were wise, we would not seek pleasure, we would not hunt it like an escaped convict of killer shark.
And if we were truly wise, we would not teach that there exists a kind and merciful God who – quite sensibly, given His evident failure—never shows His face. If women were wise they would tell men what they were doing wrong. If men were wise, they would listen. (167)
Now then, answer me this; why isn’t the rest of life as easy as that? Why can’t we confront the Inland Revenue, say, with equal impunity? Here, Mister Tasman; please find included the returned tax bill, unpaid and unwanted. I am afraid it does not meet my requirements at this time might I suggest you try elsewhere. Or: Dear Mother/Father/Wife/Husband/Friend/Lover; after much consideration, and having examined the evidence carefully, I am sorry to inform you that you do not fit my list. However, I’d like to take this opportunity of thanking you for your time and trouble, and wish you every success in the future.
Yes, let’s have a change around here; let’s all be editors. Here God, please find included your copious doctrines, indecipherable dogmas, ludicrous precepts and wholly unacceptable lows. They are being returned; they have been rejected. The same goes for you, Government; I have read your proposals thoroughly and I’m afraid your ideas are unsound, repetitious and smack of terminological inexactitudes. I wish you luck placing them elsewhere.
Yes, let’s all wield this extraordinary control; let’s all hold the power of acceptance or rejection in our hands, and make life-changing decisions based on nothing more than personal preference or whim. Let’s all have the power of awarding or withdrawing; let us all giveth and taketh away. Because the fact is, it’s all completely arbitrary. Don’t you see? The time has come to stop believing that other people know better than we do; the time has come for us to stop believing that anybody – whatever their profession, standing, intelligence – actually knows anything. It is time to face facts; none of us is wise. (173-74)
And, incidentally, in case you’ve ever wondered why it is that American tourists are so loud, the answer is simple: it’s so that they can be heard above their clothes. (189)
There are a few other good passages (see below) but I began to feel the story was just to give the author a place to put those passages rather than the passages enhancing the story, which was dull, predictable, and, especially at the end, terribly and unnecessarily drawn out.
Quotes that caught my eye
It is a simple law of physics (or biology … or maybe metaphysics) that, if you happen to be a man, where the balls go, the rest of the body follows. (13)
It must be inferred, thus, that God is neither omniscient nor omnipotent; just rather immature. Just like men. (52)
And here lies the greatest paradox of all, because if we were wise, we would know that, like the pot of gold at rainbow’s end, the fount of wisdom is a myth; a myth perpetrated by the scared to satisfy the insecure. If we were wise, we would make wise decisions. We would not eat junk food, we would not smoke tobacco, wee would not have unprotected sex in an era when such things may be fatal. We would not pollute our rivers nor irradiate the atmosphere. We would not murder defenceless men, women and children and dignify the act with a label, war, which by its very existence somehow suggests a justification for such terrible deeds. If we were wise we would feed, clothe and house the people of the world rather than squander our resources on weapons of mass destruction. If we were wise, we would not seek pleasure, we would not hunt it like an escaped convict of killer shark.
And if we were truly wise, we would not teach that there exists a kind and merciful God who – quite sensibly, given His evident failure—never shows His face. If women were wise they would tell men what they were doing wrong. If men were wise, they would listen. (167)
Now then, answer me this; why isn’t the rest of life as easy as that? Why can’t we confront the Inland Revenue, say, with equal impunity? Here, Mister Tasman; please find included the returned tax bill, unpaid and unwanted. I am afraid it does not meet my requirements at this time might I suggest you try elsewhere. Or: Dear Mother/Father/Wife/Husband/Friend/Lover; after much consideration, and having examined the evidence carefully, I am sorry to inform you that you do not fit my list. However, I’d like to take this opportunity of thanking you for your time and trouble, and wish you every success in the future.
Yes, let’s have a change around here; let’s all be editors. Here God, please find included your copious doctrines, indecipherable dogmas, ludicrous precepts and wholly unacceptable lows. They are being returned; they have been rejected. The same goes for you, Government; I have read your proposals thoroughly and I’m afraid your ideas are unsound, repetitious and smack of terminological inexactitudes. I wish you luck placing them elsewhere.
Yes, let’s all wield this extraordinary control; let’s all hold the power of acceptance or rejection in our hands, and make life-changing decisions based on nothing more than personal preference or whim. Let’s all have the power of awarding or withdrawing; let us all giveth and taketh away. Because the fact is, it’s all completely arbitrary. Don’t you see? The time has come to stop believing that other people know better than we do; the time has come for us to stop believing that anybody – whatever their profession, standing, intelligence – actually knows anything. It is time to face facts; none of us is wise. (173-74)
And, incidentally, in case you’ve ever wondered why it is that American tourists are so loud, the answer is simple: it’s so that they can be heard above their clothes. (189)
March 5, 2018
Touched by a spot of Madness or Something.
A great many questions spring to mind on completion. Why, for instance did he not endeavour to discover the true nature of her mysterious 'work'?To unfathom her seemingly bottomless reservoir of contemptuous insulting behaviour. His particular stores of self respect were quickly replaced with self loathing. As her brand of obnoxiousness knew no bounds. Her extreme disgust and obvious loathing for the opposite sex, had to be based on past experience and being somewhat older,she was able to successfully dominate emasculate and manipulate at will. Her dangerous and undeniably daring project could only succeed with an appropriate guinea pig/wimp/ self deluded hack. But for all her well read cleverness and intellectual intelligence, she surely could not believe that
by 'letting him off the hook', she would also be? Surely she must have realised that a man having been sufficiently riled, pushed and enraged to breaking point is capable of anything....even murder. When the dangerous games were reciprocated, surely it's time to bow out.
Like lamb to the slaughter, he willingly allowed himself to degenerate to a subservient clown, a yes man, a laughable experiment going horribly wrong. However, if by the clues of unseen lingerie and long nights away, staying in a top class Park Lane Hotel, in the name of work and duty, he still had not tumbled on the fact that yes, she was a student of psychology writing a controversial thesis concerning men in a derogatory fashion, but she was also an equally Top Class Call Girl. Working her way through the droves of filthy rich and brainless male residents. Though never mentioned, it was very obvious, with her trappings of fancy car and exclusive house. The ending was way too extreme, though apparently, writers like to tell lies.
A great many questions spring to mind on completion. Why, for instance did he not endeavour to discover the true nature of her mysterious 'work'?To unfathom her seemingly bottomless reservoir of contemptuous insulting behaviour. His particular stores of self respect were quickly replaced with self loathing. As her brand of obnoxiousness knew no bounds. Her extreme disgust and obvious loathing for the opposite sex, had to be based on past experience and being somewhat older,she was able to successfully dominate emasculate and manipulate at will. Her dangerous and undeniably daring project could only succeed with an appropriate guinea pig/wimp/ self deluded hack. But for all her well read cleverness and intellectual intelligence, she surely could not believe that
by 'letting him off the hook', she would also be? Surely she must have realised that a man having been sufficiently riled, pushed and enraged to breaking point is capable of anything....even murder. When the dangerous games were reciprocated, surely it's time to bow out.
Like lamb to the slaughter, he willingly allowed himself to degenerate to a subservient clown, a yes man, a laughable experiment going horribly wrong. However, if by the clues of unseen lingerie and long nights away, staying in a top class Park Lane Hotel, in the name of work and duty, he still had not tumbled on the fact that yes, she was a student of psychology writing a controversial thesis concerning men in a derogatory fashion, but she was also an equally Top Class Call Girl. Working her way through the droves of filthy rich and brainless male residents. Though never mentioned, it was very obvious, with her trappings of fancy car and exclusive house. The ending was way too extreme, though apparently, writers like to tell lies.
September 21, 2007
Ein junger Schriftsteller, der unter einer leichten Schreibblockade leidet, lernt auf einer Party Cassandra kennen und beginnt sofort eine Beziehung mit ihr die nur auf Sex beruht. Anfangs für beide ok, aber dann...
Tja, was dann passiert hab ich nicht mehr gelesen. Nach 20 Seiten hab ich es wieder zur Seite gelegt. Der Schreibstil war zwar ok und lesbar, aber die Geschichte hat mich irgendwie nicht gefesselt und ich bin derzeit öfter mal in der Stimmung, ein Buch eher ungelesen zu lassen als mich da durch zu quälen wenn ich doch stattdessen was besseres lesen könnte.
Obwohl mir die Sache mit der Schreibblockade und nachts besser arbeiten können als tagsüber sehr bekannt ist von meiner Diplomarbeit. Da sitzt man wirklich auch mal stundenlang vor dem Computer und hat nicht wirklich viel Produktives gemacht. Er war ja immerhin soweit und hat sich feste Arbeitszeiten vorgegeben.
Tja, was dann passiert hab ich nicht mehr gelesen. Nach 20 Seiten hab ich es wieder zur Seite gelegt. Der Schreibstil war zwar ok und lesbar, aber die Geschichte hat mich irgendwie nicht gefesselt und ich bin derzeit öfter mal in der Stimmung, ein Buch eher ungelesen zu lassen als mich da durch zu quälen wenn ich doch stattdessen was besseres lesen könnte.
Obwohl mir die Sache mit der Schreibblockade und nachts besser arbeiten können als tagsüber sehr bekannt ist von meiner Diplomarbeit. Da sitzt man wirklich auch mal stundenlang vor dem Computer und hat nicht wirklich viel Produktives gemacht. Er war ja immerhin soweit und hat sich feste Arbeitszeiten vorgegeben.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews