Pleasure Bound - erotic book by Cleis Press Inc. - review by Escheresque

Pleasure Bound is a novel of stories compiled and edited by Alison Tyler. The introduction claims that these stories are all true, which added some extra naughtiness to the read.

Within the 177 pages of Pleasure Bound the reader gets to see bondage from both sides of the ties, plunging into the thoughts and sensations of the dom and the submissive; exploring the power behind a command and the desire to be dominated. As one author relates, "to be broken down was the only way I could feel whole again."

Because the book is written by a variety of authors, the mood and language of the book changes as you go through, but throughout the words are brutal, honest and alluring. In the story "Before Sleep Does," the author writes to her partner "You deliver one blow after another to my sore and heated ass."

Even as some of the stories stretched my comfort zone, I was aroused along with the author. I shivered as I read "You're not getting my cock yet, bitch."

Tyler delves into both the "tame" and "extreme" types of bondage in this compilation and goes back and forth, shocking you with the range of what bondage is. "Tears are not the point," Xan West writes, "fear is the point. It's not about breaking... it's about building."

The stories cover other ranges as well: from monogamous couples to complete strangers (and the infidelity in between); from willing submission to forced domination; from the "comfort" of your home to the back row of a movie theater.

Even if you've never tried bondage, you'll understand the line between pleasure and pain by the end of this set of stories... and have all your pre-conceived notions shattered.

This book aroused me... and gave me ideas. I recommend it for anyone.

I've been re-reading my favorites from this book, and I know I will continue to. The imagery evoked by these spell-binding stories continues to arouse me. Like any good read - you put yourself into the story - flinching as the hand smacks, feeling the erotic helplessness as the ropes are tied.

I would recommend this for anyone's erotic library.