Safe Word: An Erotic S/M Novel

by Molly Weatherfield

Book Overview

From the author of Carrie's Story comes the continuing tale of a young woman's uncompromising sexual adventure. Carrie leaves Jonathan, the S/M master who initiated her into a life of slave auctions,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573441686
• ISBN13: 9781573441681
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Cleis Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

I was wrong....

I thought that I couldn't read something hotter than Carrie's Story, but this was it!!!! I loved the way it switched from Carrie's perspective to Jonathan's! It was like reading a collection of stories, but with a common story sprinkled in the middle. Would recommend both books to anyone who has any interest in BDSM!!!!!

Excellent Writing, but not the very best in show!

`Safe Word' by Molly Weatherfield is the sequel to `Carrie's Story'. When I reviewed the latter title, it was obvious that a sequel was in the works, as the story seems to so obviously stop in the middle of things. This novel is not quite so obviously designed to support a sequel, as it seems to give Carrie, the principle character, a clean break with all her paramours and dominants from these two novels. The opening for a third is simply made by leaving Carrie at the start of what may be a normal romantic relation with a new partner. Like the first novel, this work is head and shoulders above practically all other novels in it's genre, as it successfully creates a backdrop to Carrie's submissive relations and uses this framework to create bridges between the more graphic events. In fact, it is no accident that the author quotes items and scenes from the famous novel `The Story of O' by Pauline Reage, as this is certainly the work against which this needs to be measured. While both my visceral and intellectual response to this novel was positive, I could not help but find some weaknesses. The largest by far is the implausibility of the hidden culture of wealthy masters and permanent submissives who together travel around from one party and event to the next, and spend the time in between training the submissives to be better imitations of domestic animals. One of the great virtues of `The Story of O' is the plausibility of the backstory. While it did posit two households dedicated to training and housing submissives, these households were relatively small, and easily hidden in remote French country houses and chateau. Reage's story also has her heroine maintain her `day job' in between erotic incidents and vacations. In truth, I may be just a bit too demanding, as this genre has its conventions just as science fiction or fantasy posits either impossible laws of physics or magic and spells out what things would be like if we make these assumptions. And, is this not really a fantasy. My only complaint is that the easier it is to suspend disbelief, as well as a character here and there, the more enjoyable is the story. I am surprised that, to my knowledge, no fiction writer in this genre has used the writers, actors, director, and crew engaged in making a bondage film as the scene for a novel. This is a legitimate venue for all sorts of variations and a strong plot element could be built out of putting something on the screen that is not so made up as one may think. Even if I successfully suspended disbelief for the purpose of this story, I still missed a good representation of the psychology of submission that Reage does so well. I note one paragraph on page 31 which enters Carrie's mind and describes her reaction to some aspects of her submission, but by in large, this is all just a matter of fact recitation of events by Carrie to Jonathan or Jonathan to Carrie. Once we get the general picture of this world, most of which was explained in the

Very interesting

Not dull at all; I liked very much the way Molly delves into the minds of both Carrie and Jonathan. The visual imagery in the text is also very dynamic. Although both books in the series ("Carrie's Story" and "Safe Word") can stand alone by themselves, I recommend reading them both (of course) in order to see Carrie's growth through the length of the story. Molly Weatherfield spices the story with humor, passion and romance, and reaches just about any reader with a heart that is looking for a place to belong.. masterfully written, perfectly performed! I loved it.

Superb

I loved this book. Not just as porn, but as a real book. Though I definitely liked it as porn, as well. This author seems to be channeling every fantasy I ever had (and added a few to the list -- I never in a million years thought I could find pony girl stuff that hot.) Unlike some, I thought it had exactly the right amount of prurient detail -- for me it's the story, more than the blow by blow descriptions (well, you know what I mean), that does it.It should definitely be read after Carrie's Story, to get the full impact of the characters, but I thought Safe Word was even better. Unlike several reviewers, I didn't find it confusing at all, though it takes some doing to follow the time line, as it switches back and forth between the present reunion between Carrie and Jonathan, her former master, and each of their stories concerning the events of their year apart.I loved each of the characters -- I don't know how it's possible not to adore Carrie, with her sharp insights, her unsparing (but not at all unhappy) self-view, her wit, and her never-ending, insatiable, and constantly entertaining lust. And, while we knew in Carrie's Story that Jonathan was a bit compulsive and neurotic underneath his perfectly in-control, and perfectly dressed, persona, here he really turns into a real person -- flawed, sometimes silly, frequently faking it, and somehow, for all that, quite dear and still very, very hot. Most of all, having come of age reading books like The Story of O and The Image (both of which, don't get me wrong, I dearly love), it was particularly satisfying to have those lovely mythologies taken apart and put back together in a way that made the heroine, while every bit as riveted by lust and abandon and the longing to obey, remain intact throughout. I won't talk about what actually happens at the end, for those who haven't read the book, though I will say I both hated and loved the ending, and it made me rethink all those myths, and the impact that their beauty and their despair had on my own self-view. I don't know how I can say more about a book than that.

An excellent follow-up

Safe Word is the sequel to Carrie's Story. The story is a continuation from the first novel. I strongly suggest reading Carrie's Story first - it will provide the context for Safe Word which might otherwise be a little confusing (though I suspect it would stand up in its own right anyway).The setting and format of the book are an interesting change from the first book. This time, instead of a simple first person narrative from the submissive Carrie, we are treated to a mix of Carrie and Jonathon (her former lover and Master) telling stories of the events of the previous year. That is the year that Carrie was (voluntarily) enslaved to a rich Greek financier and Carrie is now free and has been reunited with Jonathon. In between the stories a narrative is provided where appropriate.I found the book as compelling as Carrie's Story and the change in format provided an interesting change in perspective. We still get the marvellous interior dialogue from Carrie (as though she were writing her secret thoughts to her diary) but now we get Jonathon's side of the story - and he turns out to be just as human as we suspected he might be. Unlike Sir Stephen (Story Of O) Jonathon is not all knowing and totally self-assured as we (Carrie) suspected he must be in the previous book. He is nearly so, but not quite.Unlike other reviewers I didn't find the story confusing, and while there is certainly a flag that something unusual is on the way, I didn't expect the ending (perhaps I'm just dumb!)There is plenty of sex and BDSM though perhaps not as graphic as some might wish. However, I don't think this is a minus. There is a fair bit of the story devoted to pony girls which I must confess is not really my cup of tea, but a testament to the skill of the author is that this did not cause me to put the book down. The writing is outstanding throughout and I have put Carrie's Story and Safe Word next to my copy of The Story Of O. The two books are that good in my opinion. Congratulations Molly Weatherfield!If you enjoyed The Story Of O give this book and its prequel a go.