Story of O
Histoire d'O (English title: Story of O) is a sadomasochistic novel by French author Anne Desclos (1907-1998) under the pen name, Pauline Réage.
(Desclos only revealed her identity as the author forty years after publication and shortly before her death. Desclos said that she had written the novel as a series of love letters to her lover Jean Pualhan who admired the work of the Marquis de Sade. Desclos also wrote under the name of Dominique Aury.)
Published in 1954 in French by Jean-Jacques Pauvert, editor, it is a story of female submission about a Parisian fashion photographer who is blindfolded, chained, whipped, branded, pierced, made to wear a mask, and taught at the Chateau d' Roissy to be "constantly available" for oral, vaginal, and/or anal intercourse.
In February 1955, it won the French literature prize Prix des Deux Magots, although this did not prevent the French authorities bringing obscenity charges against the publisher. The charges were later rejected by the courts, but a publicity ban was imposed for a number of years.
The first English edition was published by Grove Press, Inc. in 1965. Eliot Fremont-Smith (of the New York Times) called its publishing "a significant event."
A sequel, was published 1969 in French, again with Jean-Jacques Pauvert, editor, Retour à Roissy (Return to Roissy, but often translated as Return to the Chateau, Continuing the Story of O), was published again by Grove Press, Inc., in 1971.
The English edition published by Grove Press, as An Evergreen Black Cat Book. Printed in the United States. Distributed by Random House, Inc., New York.
A critical view of the novel is that it is about the ultimate sexual objectification of a woman. The heroine of the novel has the shortest possible name, consisting solely of the letter "O". Although this is in fact a shortening of the name Odile, it could also stand for "object" or "orifice", since an O is a symbolic representation of any "hole".
It is assumed that a real-life O and inspiration in the entourage of Pauline Réage was French novelist Janine Aeply, the wife of French painter Jean Fautrier, and one of the friends of Dominique Aury.
The book has been the source of various terms that are used in the BDSM subculture such as "Samois", the name of the estate belonging to the character Anne-Marie, who brands O.
Gallery of stills from the movie
- More stills are available at BDSM Movie review
Adaptations
For a very long time, French director Henri-Georges Clouzot had dreamed to adapt the novel. Finally, a film, The Story of O, was made in 1975 by director Just Jaeckin, starring Corinne Clery and Udo Kier. The film met with far less acclaim than the book. It was banned in the United Kingdom by the British Board of Film Censors until February, 2000.
- When this film was released in the US, about twenty members of BackDrop traveled to Berkeley where it was being shown.
See also Hayward
- In 1975 it was adapted for comics by the Italian artist Guido Crepax.
- In 1979, Danish director Lars von Trier made a short movie which is a homage] to Story of O and Dominique Aury, entitled Menthe - la bienheureuse.
- A Brazilian miniseries in ten episodes with Claudia Cepeda was made in 1992 by director Eric Rochat, who was the producer of the original 1975 movie.
- Finally, in 2002, Phil Leirness directed a modern-day, English-language remake of the Story of O, which he co-wrote.
See also Ring of O
- Review Histoire d'O at the Internet Movie Database
A Personal Note from Robin
I have this book stored on disk -- If you would like a copy of it, send me an email request
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Story of O (Histoire d'O) ( 1975 ) Starring Corinne Clery, Udo Kier, Anthony Steel, and Jean Gaven <ISBN:B000065RSW> Buy it from Amazon.com |
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