TEST
Who’da thunk it? Lofting, the first erotica I’ve ever reviewed, is flat-out the most intellectual, vocabulary-straining book I’ve read all year. Somebody once likened reading Judith Ivory to “sipping coffee in my kitchen, being told stories by an intelligent friend.” Well, Alma Marceau writes like that intelligent friend might sound in the wee hours, after enough Irish Cream has crept into that coffee that the chat turns to down’n’dirty sexual fantasies.
Claire is a therapist who chats online with Andres, a witty, literate stockbroker with a reputation for giving great cybersex. When Andres broaches the topic with Claire, she initially shies away but then lets her curiousity get the better of her. They begin a steamy online affair that only expands in scope when Claire embarks on an equally hot real-life relationship with an openminded artist named Nick.
That’s the whole story, in a nutshell. The book follows the same outline as most of the erotica I’ve sampled over the years – Claire embarks on a quest of sensual exploration that begins mildly and becomes more exotic as the book goes on. The characters are fairly thin, and the book makes no pretense that its story is anything more or less significant than a string of couplings and variations on the theme of sex. What distinguishes this book, however, is its intelligence, wit, and style. Claire and Andres’ casual chats read like an online Algonquin Club, and Claire’s occasional wry asides made me laugh out loud.
Unfortunately, those largely dry up (and Andres mostly disappears) by the final third of the book, as Claire moves from cybersex to real life. In the first section there’s room for interesting little digressions into the nature of online relationships and Claire and Andres’ mutual hatred of postmodernism, but the final act suffers from sensuality overload and idea-exhaustion; like most erotica the characters become less distinct and less interesting as they become increasingly consumed by their round-the-clock pursuit of sex. Many romance fans will find Claire a refreshing change of pace because she’s so unapologetic about her bluntly-expressed desires. No one has to coax or coerce Claire into enjoying sex, and she’s passive and submissive only when she feels like it. However, there are also aspects that will particularly disappoint romance fans. While it isn’t a major issue in the book, Andres is married, a hot-button subject for many of our readers. What’s more, there’s very little examination of the characters’ feelings and emotions, and this lack makes the book seem flatter even as the sex gets more exotic.
Overall, however, this is a very enjoyable, challenging read. Challenging how? Well, there’s the language, for one thing. I was Little Ms. SAT-Verbal back in the day, but several words sent me scurrying for the online dictionaries. For example:
- lacustrine – of, relating to, formed in, living in, or growing in lakes
- indaba – conference, parley
- unguinous – oily, fatty
- gonzesse – (Fr.) tart, bitch
- callipygian – having shapely buttocks
But don’t let me scare you off – the conversations in this book are so brisk and natural that in context these little verbal cherry-bombs actually go down quite smoothly.
For reasons both erotic and intellectual, this is probably a “sipping book,” better to savor and sample gradually, than to gulp in one overwhelming rush, as I had to for this review. While Lofting succeeds in its erotic objectives quite well, it left me hungry for more of everything else – more conversations, more ideas, more character background and development. Overall, however, it’s one of the most remarkable books I’ve read in quite some time, and I will watch eagerly for more work by Alma Marceau.
Grade: B+
Book Type: Erotica
Sensuality: Burning
Review Date: 26/10/01
Publication Date: 2001
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.