More than just sex

April 4, 2014 by AlyseGarner — Amazon | 3 out of 5 stars

Author, Wayne Clark, throws his audience straight into his exploration of sexuality, desire and the sadness of a life unlived before the narrative has even truly begun; his preface ends with this thought provoking comment from a nurse on the passing of the main character: “…at the end of life our sexuality outlives the rest. Memories, meaning, love, they vanish long before.” If this doesn’t give one an idea of what is to come then perhaps this novel is not for you.

The story of a man who has spent his life afraid to explore his true desires he & She is an interesting and exciting novel, I hesitate to use the phrase “erotic literature”, though be sure there is plenty of sex and eroticism in the novel. There is also a generous helping of personal exploration here and that’s what makes this book unlike most in the adult fiction category.

The bondage and sado-masochistic parts of the novel are explicit enough to excite those with a penchant for such sexualities, the dominatrix and submissive relationship is well structured and filled with erotic heat, yet it is not so over-the-top as to put off those with little to no experience in the area.

In all honesty, none of this was particularly to my taste, as a woman I didn’t entirely relate to the central character, though I have to say it was a far more impressive, well written and sexually exciting piece than the dire 50 Shades of Grey tripe that offers a similar, albeit with flipped genders, relationship. For those hoping to dip their toe into the world of BDSM and erotic literature but also looking for something with a depth then he & She is the ideal novel for you.

Wayne is a Montreal based writer, editor and translator.

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