Obsession

April 20, 2009
Vanderbilt—socialite, artiste and pioneer of designer jeans—dips into the realm of spanking, thrusting, creaming and opening “as a flower toward the sun†with this dressed-up pulp erotica tale—Chip Kidd designed the striking cover, which features white-haired mannequins that (a certain type of person might be inclined to conclude) slightly resemble the host of CNN's AC360
. After renowned architect Talbot Bingham dies, his widow, Priscilla, designates their Maryland estate (“of all our estates it was the one I loved mostâ€) as a museum. In going through Talbot's papers there, Priscilla discovers letters from a woman calling herself Queen Bee that describe a physical passion utterly foreign to Pris. Repulsed and fascinated by Bee's purple correspondence (“Look Master, no doubt you didn't insist she wax her mons as you do mineâ€), Priscilla falls into a “labyrinth of pain and misery†and becomes increasingly obsessed with Bee. As Vanderbilt nudges the two women together, the already soft-focused narrative becomes nearly hallucinatory. Sadly, this is no Story of O
: the prose is terminally puffy, the sex has been done (and done and done) and Pris is an unendearing priss.

October 15, 2009
The plot is barely evident in this brief but dragged-out exploration of eroticism, revenge, grief, and boastfulness by octogenarian Vanderbilt, who has previously written four memoirs and two novels. Architect Talbot Bingham has left behind steamy letters from his mistress, Queen Bee, for his widow to discover, but what some might call erotic imagery could be considered repetitive soft porn by others. The author's reputation as a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family and the mother of CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper may draw readers to the print edition, but this audio version suffers from Vanderbilt's nonprofessional reading. Not recommended.Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo

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