"The Reunion" by Laura Antoniou

Posted by Tanos on Sun 11 May 03, 8:33 AM

Tags: books

Well after 250 pages I've decided to put aside "The Reunion". I very rarely leave books unfinished - and this time I've stopped at one of the day boundaries just in case - but I really can't take any more of it.

I've enjoyed the other Marketplace books, set in a worldwide network of slaves, trainers and owners, although the fact that I enjoyed each one less than its predecessor might have been a warning.

"The Reunion" is set in a Disneyland Irish castle run by the Marketplace, a country where fields have "stone fences" and British staff refer to themselves in conversation as "this bloke." The "gee, ain't it quaint" descriptions of tea services, the laboured writing style and the must-cater-to-everyone methodical covering of all sexual permutations aren't enough to justify 250 pages worth reading.

The Marketplace is a great idea, and I did find it interesting to see how it was supposed to work in the previous books, but going back to its roots in the British Isles exposes its incompatibility with the class hierarchy during the 19th century when it is supposed to have begun. For example, training servants into slaves for sale is a trade, and therefore not something any gentleman would have done himself.

There are flashes of Antoniou's second great idea: to explore not just the Marketplace, but the competing political and philosophical movements within it. Maybe these get more than passing attention deeper into the book, but I have a feeling it is just going lead to yet more pushing of the Leather Scene myth that all good doms started as subs

So as I've said, I've put "The Reunion" aside, and I don't think I'll be back for the remaining 400 pages while I have other books waiting unread in the house.

Edited Sat 10 Jan 09, 12:08 AM by Tanos