Friday 11 January 2013

Lace by Shirley Conran

Now let me ruin the improving and clever part of my resolution by telling you about the first book I read this year...


I chose Lace as my first read because I kept hearing about how it was a cult classic and the kind of book teenage girls passed around at school, reading the dirty bits out to each other, and I didn't want to miss out on that kind of action. It's also been referred to as the original 50 Shades of Grey -- but more because of the popularity of a book for women that was full of sex than the worrying abusive relationship as romance undertone. 

The book opens with prologue describing, in wince-inducingly graphic detail, a backstreet abortion performed upon 13 yr-old girl -- not a typical sexy saga opening. But the action quickly moves twenty years on from that to a hotel room in New York where LIli, international movie star, has gathered four school friends to ask them the wonderful question: "Which one of you bitches is my mother?" And that is pretty much what the story is about.The book follows the lives of Lili and her possible mothers, Judy, Pagan, Maxine and Kate, starting in the 1940s in a swiss boarding school right up to the 80s where they all finally meet Lili again. I can't really begin to explain all the things that happen in the book but it includes: lots of sex, a story about goldfish as a sex aid, war, divorce, rape, and possible accidental incest. That looks bad written out in a list... In short, Lace is the type of book you hope to come across as a teenage girl and the perfect holiday book. 

Next week: something very worthy and high brow (or not...)

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