FLOGGING
by Rik Sanjung, A Review
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 Sometimes these focused handbooks are really just a lot of fluff. They give readers a good feel for the scene, but when you boil it down, you won't find much authentic detail. Other times, there's too much detail, and you feel like you're getting a recitation of technicalities (test on Tuesday) minus the heart and soul. But Joseph W. Bean's book on Flogging is as alive as a single tail's tip in expert hands. Maybe it's because, as he says in the preface, "I have had a great time writing it I learned a lot about how I approach and do my favorite scene by organizing the information for you in this book" In Flogging, Bean's having fun, and he's not talking down. Plus, though Bean tells you you're never going to learn enough from a book to be a good flogger, he also encourages the neophyte to "Dive in!" (115).
The book doesn't bore you with chapters on the dimensions of various whips, and a chapter on safety rules before getting you to the juicy bits. Flogging starts out with a scene between two experienced players that has intrigue (they've been eying each other at BDSM parties) and intensity -- can Leila take the severe beating "Master Top" Jim will dish out? This chapter is told from Leila's point of view, explaining how she reads the scene and the sensations she's feeling as Jim flogs her. And the chapter that follows integrates this scene into its discussion of the flogging basics -- the tools, the safety, the strokes. The book has four such scenes scattered throughout, one male-on-female, one female-on-male, one male-on-male and one female-on-female. But unlike some books that just use the juicy scenes to spice up otherwise tedious material, or use scenes to punctuate what was just discussed, Bean uses his flogging scenes to introduce new material. So when he covers the new material, reference to the scene makes his examples vivid. Also, he's chosen scenes that give you varied states of mind. The scene with "Mistress K" and "slave 2" is told from slave 2's point of view and emphasizes the mental training of D/s rather than the physical tolerance of S/M.
One of the most educational scenes in terms of negotiation is a flogging scene -- between two women, Dawn and Lori -- that went wrong. The women had been wanting to get together for some time, but Dawn, the woman who would be topping turned out to be inexperienced. When the bottom, Lori (who is very experienced), says, "did you even know I was here?" to Dawn's "You OK?" you'll want to cringe. But you pay attention. It's the after-flogging scene no one wants to have, and in this short chapter, Lori and Dawn struggle, point by point with what went wrong. The expectations, assumptions, miscommunications Not only does this talk contain a lot about the subtle nuances of a flogging, but it shows excellent insight into the D/s relationship. You can see one of Bean's subtler, but more important points -- how a good flogging is really an exchange of responses. It's a good relationship -- however brief or casual -- that, according to Bean, makes good D/s happen. A lesser book would have tried to get this point across by listing off the points of a successful negotiation.
The way flogging techniques, safety tips, negotiation skills, and insight into the BDSM relationship are handled in this book is really refreshing. As chaotic as the outline may sound and as organized as other books may be, Flogging is so much more an enjoyable read. And readers will be surprised at how many of the details sink in -- without working at it like they're back in school again.
The scene between Dennis and mark is told from the top's point of view -- what physical, verbal, and guttural reactions he observes as a result of his varied whips and strokes. Sure, Bean waxes technical or detailed at times: "Dennis lets the hard rubber flogger brush down the right, left, right, left, then land with a snapping force on the right side of mark's back" (39). But Bean's approach is very compact: you're getting description of the tool, physical description of the stroke, and ideas for variations of strokes all in one sentence. And yes, for equipment hounds, the book does have the obligatory sections that describe the types of whips, their impacts and their construction. But like an excellent top man and flogger, Bean knows when you've had enough of single tail trivia and knows enough to pull back and give you a rest. At the same time, his descriptions of the scenes can tell you miles of things, from info about new materials to biology and health tips. Rather than the front-loaded massive info-dump many primers use, Bean has chosen the best way to present hard facts -- in the middle of a hot scene.
The section following the Dennis and mark scene, "Reading the Bottom" is quite insightful. For those who haven't had a whole lot of flogging experience, it will be a revelation. You'll learn how the skin transforms over the course of a flogging, what each stage means in terms of where to take the scene, and how the bottom's posture and little sounds indicate stop, go, or slow. It's the kind of exciting, vivid, inside observation that is so often left out of "expert" books. This book draws you into the world of flogging and encourages you to keep going. Bean writes like someone who is still electrified by every aspect of the flogging experience. He does not bury his exuberance in a matter-of-fact tone, as if being experienced means nothing excites.
But he does admit there's a thrill in learning so many new things that he misses. "I prize the skill I have developed," Bean says, "but I still envy newcomers a bit. The wonders you have in store for you are exciting" (115). And that sense of wonder is exactly what makes Bean's presentation in Flogging so alive.
You can find Flogging at www.Greenerypress.com.
投稿日 2005年 5月 26日 |
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