Soapbox Time

I've just finished reading a book called "Obsession" by a British writer called Susan Lewis. It would loosely come under the genre, if there was one, of "Chick Lit". It's a murder, mystery, romance, psychological thriller type book, well written and set in the television industry. First published in 1993, it features the usual sex scenes, but not gratuitously so, and some rather disturbing scenes written of the sexual abuse and degradation of women and children. Again, a lot is left to the reader's imagination but enough is given for the reader to get a pretty clear idea of what is going on. All well and good (or maybe not).

On the cover of this book is, in black print, the comment "deliciously decadent" with, underneath, in green print, "Living". Presumably some yuppie-type lifestyle magazine. I've never heard of it, not that that means anything, but it gave me pause to wonder. Who, in their right mind, would call sexual abuse and degradation of women and children, deliciously decadent? Only someone with serious psychological problems themselves, I reckon. I mean this is the background of the whole story...because the main protagonist commits murder trying to exorcise what was done to himself and his sister, as children, by a violent and perverted father.

To call this novel deliciously decadent is crass and unmitigatingly insensitive and I really do wonder about the git who wrote that comment. Was he/she so totally oblivious to what this book was about, or did they close their eyes to the thread of abuse running through the story, or did they even read the bloody book? I find it very hard to credit that someone would make that comment and that whoever designed the cover, would actually include the comment without questioning it (then again, they probably hadn't read the book, either).

Actually, if I'd had any idea of the storyline, I probably wouldn't have taken the book out of the library in the first place. As I said, the scenes aren't too graphic, but are descriptive enough to give anyone a chilling insight into what these women and children had to put up with. The blurb gave no idea whatsoever about that. When I read the few lines on the back of the cover, I thought it was murder mystery with a bit of romance and naturally, a bit of the bitchiness and sabotage that probably goes on in that industry...and I felt like a bit of "Chick Lit" this weekend.

Anyway, that's my rant...thanks for listening or, should I say, reading. I hope you've had a lovely weekend. No rain, but what's new?