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* "Livinia" by Friar Dave (complex romance) 9.5, 10, 10
* "Livinia" by Friar Dave. Hubris can be a serious problem. The term refers to "an overweening pride" or over-confidence typically shown by heroes in classical tragedies immediately before their downfall. I haven't used the word "overweening" since I wrote that definition on an exam nearly 20 years ago; but I have had my share of hubris. In the present case, I figured that I knew Friar Dave so well that after I had read in Part 1 about him having passionate sex with a hot Filipino woman with a cute daughter, I figured I had the story pretty well figured out. They would make love in numerous interesting ways; he would become a devoted father figure for the daughter; and Livinia and our hero would get married and live happily ever after. Then at the beginning of Part 2 my mind was jarred to discover that the hero already had a wonderful but open relationship with another beautiful woman who sometimes liked the same ladies that the hero liked. That's hubris for you. The opposite of hubris is Socratic humility; and it will be more useful in the present situation. I know nothing except that I know nothing about this story, and I had better get back to it. It sounds both hot and interesting. Surprises abound in this story. Soon we learn that Livinia was essentially a sex slave in the Philippines, but through some good luck she managed to get away with her daughter to the United States. We also discover that Livinia has a confused sister with some lesbian proclivities, and that Livinia is one of those proclivities. In addition to teaching English I have done a lot of work with sexually abused women. The main difference between Livinia and most of the woman who have been through similar experiences is that she is still alive and even adaptively functional at the age of 30. The story is realistic, sensitive, and sexy. Friar Dave's writing style is not as sharp as it has been in most of his other stories, but maybe he got wrapped up in the plot too. I found this to be a most enjoyable story. Ratings for "Livinia" Athena (technical quality): 9.5 Venus (plot & character): 10 Celeste (appeal to reviewer): 10 |