Nothing Natural - Softcover

Jenny Diski

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1860499422 ISBN 13: 9781860499425

Publisher: Virago, 2003

Synopsis

'Nothing Natural centres with illuminating precision on a sado-masochistic relationship. Rachel is in her thirties, a single parent admired by her friends for her self-sufficiency . But when she meets the compelling, sinister Joshua she discovers another side to herself . In a sense which horrifies her, she has found herself . An outstandingly well-written novel' New Statesman An addictive story of a dangerous love affair with a shocking denoument, this is a complex examination of the relations between the sexes at their most combatative and collusive. It is a clever book with much to tell us about the nature of desire and what should or should not be permissable.

About this title

About the Author

Jenny Diski is the author of eight novels and two memoirs: Skating to Antarctica and Stranger on a Train. She lives in Cambridge.

From Publishers Weekly

A candid, intelligent and insightful portrayal of the sadomasochistic personality, Diski's sexually explicit first novel may nevertheless offend readers of delicate sensibilities. Diski describes the three-year relationship between Rachel Kee, a 31-year-old London divorcee with a young daughter, and Joshua Abelman, her superficially charming but coldly manipulative, cruelly domineering lover. To her bewilderment and shame, Joshua's brutal lovemaking fulfills a need in Rachel to be submissive and suffer pain. Their encounters are at his erratic convenience, but Rachel finds herself increasingly dependent on Joshua's presence in her life. Eventually, she suffers an acute attack of depression, is hospitalized and recovers slowly. Only then does shealmost subconsciouslyset in motion a plan to revenge herself on Joshua and break his hold on her sexual fantasies. While the sadomasochistic encounters are clearly depicted, the novel should not be considered pornographic. The character development is sensitive and psychologically sound as Diski shows how Rachel's disturbed psyche is the result of emotional damage in childhood. Although the narrative loses some momentum in the chillingly accurate but nonetheless static scenes of Rachel's depressive breakdown, on the whole this is a compelling treatment of a difficult subject. Doubleday Book Club and Literary Guild alternates.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Virago
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1860499422
• ISBN 13: 9781860499425
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288