by David Madsen
Set during the Renaissance in Rome, this is the story of Giuseppe Amadonelli – ‘Peppe’ – a crippled dwarf who rises from obscurity in the slums of the Trastevere district to the highest rung of the Vatican ladder, becoming the confidante of Pope Leo X. In the process of this astonishing rise from rags to riches, Peppe meets the beautiful Laura de’ Collini, who introduces him to Gnostic philosophy and initiates him into a secret Gnostic confraternity. It is a tale of circus freaks, ecclesiastical corruption, sexual perversion and – ultimately – hope in the enduring power of love.
Every once in a while, I randomly stumble upon a book which intrigues me enough to put my 'official' reading list on hold. And ever so often I come across a book that is so good, it sticks in my mind long after I finish reading it. Memoirs of a Gnostic Dwarf is one of those books.
Despite being painfully gruesome and, at times, completely and utterly shocking, this is a fun and insightful read. Though it is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, I would recommend it as one of the most underrated and obscure books you must read at some point in your life. That is, if you can see past the graphic content.
by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
Severin is a young Galician nobleman with a secret; he can only love a woman with a ruthless heart, who will rain her whip upon him in a shower of bloody kisses. When he meets Wanda, the wealthy and beautiful widow living in the apartment upstairs, he wonders if she might be the one to help him realize his darkest desires. But Wanda is better than she ever dreamed possible at domination—and soon Severin realizes he is powerless to escape what he has begun. Here, fantasy and reality writhe together in a ceaseless, fraught embrace. First published in 1870, the author defined—and unwittingly gave his own name to—that sexual proclivity we know as masochism in this understated, charged erotic classic.
And thats where the word 'masochism' comes from. A bit of a let-down, to be honest. I don't know what I expected, but I found the writing rather dry for such an interesting and risque subject. The protagonist is insufferable, which makes the ending all the more satisfying.
by Stieg Larsson
Unless you've been living under a rock, you would have heard all about it by now.
It was everything I expected it to be. Insomnia inducing and satisfying. I didn't expect it to be quite so brutal, but I'm not complaining. A wonderful read.
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