"The Sleeping Beauty - A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups" by Jo G. Guest Review by Stephen Peters (Sxjames@aol.com).
http://www.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=355961849

When I was growing up, I never cared much for the traditional European fairy tale. Kings? Queens? Heroic princesses and damsels in distress? I'd think "Who *are* these people, and what do they have to do with me?" These characters seemed remote and untouchable; simple props that played their assigned roles in transparent and humorless morality tales. However, I'm very happy to report that this "adult" fairy tale is nothing of the sort. And no -- this version of "Sleeping Beauty" isn't some ribald re-telling of the old legend. Instead, the author of this piece has taken the form (and substance) of a fairy tale then constructed a warm and rather erotic story of sexual awakening, yearning, and true love.

The central dilemma in this version of "Sleeping Beauty" is presented early and with clarity. At the naming-day ceremonies the good fairies grant Beauty the usual gifts of long life, intelligence, beauty, and the ability to bear both sexes. In turn, the wicked fairy declares that at Beauty's first orgasm she will fall into a coma, along with the rest of the kingdom. (Now *that's* what I call wicked ). In order to forestall this fate the elders of the kingdom must, at all cost, prevent Beauty from experiencing sexual arousal. Chastity belts are invented. Beauty (although she is never given a direct reason why) is forced to wear one; and to prevent the inevitable questions that would arise, the rest of the children of the kingdom are forced to wear them also. The author then follows Beauty as she grows from a child to a young woman. As she reaches adulthood, Beauty ends up spending much of her time in the company of a young prince from a neighboring kingdom (who, incidentally, is also forced to wear the dreaded belt). As expected, they fall in love, but they do so in a most realistic (read: non-fairy tale like) fashion. As the two grow closer together their sexual frustration mounts until Beauty, in a rather imaginative use of a spinning wheel (yes, the author *does* use all the elements of the original tale) manages to satisfy her sexual needs and then falls into a coma. Don't worry; the prince saves her, breaks the spell, and everyone lives happily ever after. I might also mention that, as with any good fairy tale, this one does have a moral to it. In this case the author notes that Beauty and the prince keep the chastity belts around to remind them that sexual union in not the be-all and end-all of a sexual relationship.

The strengths of this tale are numerous. The first thing this reader noticed was the prose. While it's simple, direct, and very appropriate to the piece, in no way does the author 'talk down' to the reader (something else I found irritating in those early childhood stories). The author also pays careful attention to the small but crucial details that bring a sense of logic and believability to something that is inherently fantasy. For example, after everyone in the kingdom falls into a coma the prince has but a few days to find Beauty before the population starts dying of dehydration. At times, and with its sense of adventure, this tale reads more like an intelligent Sword 'n Sorcery story than a fairy tale. The author also had the good sense to introduce the prince as a childhood companion of Beauty and not as someone who just appears to sweep her off her feet. However, for this reader the real meat is contained in the description of Beauty's longing for her often absent prince, along with the accompanying sexual tension (enforced by the chastity belt). In the end the author paints a genuinely romantic and thoroughly enjoyable love story between Beauty and her prince, one that I will remember for a quite a while.