How To Read Sex, Tears and Orgasm?
There are many reasons why we read a book or what attracts it to us in the first place: its cover, its title, or simply because a friend, a teacher or a counsellor recommended it to us to read. Suppose you are a credal or a puritanic Christian or a rigid Islamic fundamentalist. In that case, you will find Sex, Tears, and Orgasm offensive, putting it in the same category as an only erotica story, which is often off the eyesight of the public, so hiding in the back of the library. Or a teenager would read while hiding under their pillow in the middle of the night because it is about sex and their parents or caregiver never talks openly with them.
The word itself, put right into your face without any hiding agenda, could put many off, despicable, and yet those many spend most of their time watching porn with no respect for the women that they are watching. This book challenges societal norms and taboos, inviting you to reconsider your preconceptions about sex and sexuality.
You can also find that the story is so blunt and bold that you look away without any sense of curiosity and rebuke it with all your being. However, if you are curious, George, you could ask, why not? With all the polarization about sex, sexuality and social justice that is going on in our world today, you could say, for instance, I might understand it better, or I could find answers to my quest for my own sexual identity, or I will read it because it has my favourite colour for instance. Then you check it because of its title and then the cover, and you read it and forget about it as if it was another passing cloud to the next best thing. You also can read the book and correlate it to your own life and see where reading this story could help you grow in another part of the sessions of your life or your own sexual life to a more profound and meaningful sex life. This book could be a tool for your personal growth and self-discovery.
I invite you to read ‘Sex, Tears, and Orgasms’ as if you were writing it or writing your own story through reading. Put yourself in the protagonist's shoes and see where it will take you or if something is related to your life. Ask questions, and feel free to make a note as you read along. Since it is one of the most intimate movements of your 'me' time while reading any book, pay attention to how you feel. Note that, too, there is a memory that pops out, a smell, a colour, and a session... Engage with the book on a personal level, allowing it to evoke your own memories and emotions.
‘Sex, Tears, and Orgasms’ is a deeply personal and intimate true story that can guide any individual on their path to self-discovery and alignment, provided they are willing to put in the work. It is a journey of self-acceptance and understanding of one's sexual identity and desires, which may have been suppressed by societal taboos and uncommon norms. I highly recommend it to individuals who are exploring their sexual identity or to couples who wish to rekindle their sexual connection. While reading it, tune into what sex is to you and how it relates to you. Are you ashamed when you hear that word, or are you angry, or do you feel guilty for even opening this book just by the deliberately provocative title with its openness to the freedom of calling the elephant in the room by its name?
The word itself, put right into your face without any hiding agenda, could put many off, despicable, and yet those many spend most of their time watching porn with no respect for the women that they are watching. This book challenges societal norms and taboos, inviting you to reconsider your preconceptions about sex and sexuality.
You can also find that the story is so blunt and bold that you look away without any sense of curiosity and rebuke it with all your being. However, if you are curious, George, you could ask, why not? With all the polarization about sex, sexuality and social justice that is going on in our world today, you could say, for instance, I might understand it better, or I could find answers to my quest for my own sexual identity, or I will read it because it has my favourite colour for instance. Then you check it because of its title and then the cover, and you read it and forget about it as if it was another passing cloud to the next best thing. You also can read the book and correlate it to your own life and see where reading this story could help you grow in another part of the sessions of your life or your own sexual life to a more profound and meaningful sex life. This book could be a tool for your personal growth and self-discovery.
I invite you to read ‘Sex, Tears, and Orgasms’ as if you were writing it or writing your own story through reading. Put yourself in the protagonist's shoes and see where it will take you or if something is related to your life. Ask questions, and feel free to make a note as you read along. Since it is one of the most intimate movements of your 'me' time while reading any book, pay attention to how you feel. Note that, too, there is a memory that pops out, a smell, a colour, and a session... Engage with the book on a personal level, allowing it to evoke your own memories and emotions.
‘Sex, Tears, and Orgasms’ is a deeply personal and intimate true story that can guide any individual on their path to self-discovery and alignment, provided they are willing to put in the work. It is a journey of self-acceptance and understanding of one's sexual identity and desires, which may have been suppressed by societal taboos and uncommon norms. I highly recommend it to individuals who are exploring their sexual identity or to couples who wish to rekindle their sexual connection. While reading it, tune into what sex is to you and how it relates to you. Are you ashamed when you hear that word, or are you angry, or do you feel guilty for even opening this book just by the deliberately provocative title with its openness to the freedom of calling the elephant in the room by its name?
Plot
‘Sex, Tears, and Orgasms’ is a memoir that explores diverse human emotions, from vulnerability to self-righteousness, threat to betrayal, passionate love to bored indifference. The narrator's voice is a compelling guide through these experiences, offering thought-provoking questions and reflections from the narrator's inner monologues, steamy scenes of the narrator's erotic pursuits artfully intermingled with more significant issues of sexuality, fascinating descriptions of cultural and cross-cultural connections, and a healthy dose of candid, cutting humour. The complexity of the narrator's character paints an authentic picture of humanity. While readers may not relate to everything the narrator experiences, it is almost certain every reader can relate to something.
Characterization
First-Person Narrator - Linda
The narrator's characterization of herself is hauntingly rich. The level of self-awareness imbued in the words and the articulation of emotions and tensions is gripping, relatable, and phenomenal. Linda's raw emotions and how she articulates her fears and insecurities make her humanization of herself not just believable but gut-wrenchingly relatable. This relatability draws the audience in, making them feel a personal connection to Linda's journey, and a deep understanding of her struggles.
Harvey
For a character so core to the main character's identity formation, Harvey's characterization is extremely conflicted because he does not know if his wife had an emotional or actual affair or if it was love or lust. Though there are multiple scenes involving Harvey and Linda, Harvey's dialogue is not enough to tell whether Harvey is controlling or submissive, vengeful or forgiving, pained or indifferent. Harvey does not reveal extreme opinions or perspectives on anything. In places where Harry makes his own choices, such as CHAPTER 33: REPLACE MOTHER'S DEAD WITH SURGERY OF FEBRUARY 2018, Harvey is portrayed as an introverted, sensitive soul. If this is true, there is a compelling potential to offer readers a glimpse of Harvey's rich inner world, sparking their curiosity.
Harvey's weak characterization is detrimental to the narrative more than anything because, at best, it portrays Harvey as a flat character who takes up space in the story, and at worst, it suggests that her imagination and her issues cause Linda's tensions and challenges more than by Harley’s contribution to their relationship dynamic. This lack of depth in Harvey's character makes it difficult for the reader to fully understand the dynamics of Linda and Harvey's relationship, and it undermines the narrative's exploration of long-term marital relationships. However, it's important to note that Linda's character, in particular, is significantly shaped by her relationship with Harvey. His presence brings out her insecurities, fears, and strengths, adding layers to her character and influencing her decisions and actions throughout the narrative.
Shane
Shane is an enigma. Humanly speaking, he is real enough. His actions, dialogue, and motivations are unpredictable, sufficient that Shane passes for a feeling, breathing individual, a man with a complicated past and longings that go deeper than just a superficial pursuit of one-night stands. Shane may play the role of the villain, but his tenderness toward Linda and the many pangs of sadness he harbours in life do not make for a despicable character. The mystery surrounding Shane's character is deliberately crafted to pique the audience's curiosity, leaving them intrigued and wanting to know more about this complex individual.
Marina
Although we rarely see her, Marina is introduced as Linda's best friend. She is centred in some scenes, and her characterization is believable enough. She is painted as a wise, trustworthy friend. In some ways, she acts as a foil to the narrator: her philosophical, pondering nature makes her a great fit with Linda, but she has an entirely different outlook on life and is a free-spirited woman in the ways Linda is not. Be careful of what is said about her: in CHAPTER 14: IN Vancouver Linda's Best Friend Marina, Marina shouts about Linda's orgasm; in the following chapter, CHAPTER 15: IN VANCOUVER - THE SLEEPOVER AND THE SECRET SPIL, Marina also shouts several times, but then she is described as a person who does not quickly get excited. Marina may not receive frequent and consistent screen time, but her influence on Linda's life is felt through most of the critical moments of Linda's journey. Though not always visible, her presence is a constant in Linda's life, shaping her decisions and actions. Marina's influence is significant, making the audience feel her impact on Linda's life, and the profound role she plays in shaping Linda's character.
The narrator's characterization of herself is hauntingly rich. The level of self-awareness imbued in the words and the articulation of emotions and tensions is gripping, relatable, and phenomenal. Linda's raw emotions and how she articulates her fears and insecurities make her humanization of herself not just believable but gut-wrenchingly relatable. This relatability draws the audience in, making them feel a personal connection to Linda's journey, and a deep understanding of her struggles.
Harvey
For a character so core to the main character's identity formation, Harvey's characterization is extremely conflicted because he does not know if his wife had an emotional or actual affair or if it was love or lust. Though there are multiple scenes involving Harvey and Linda, Harvey's dialogue is not enough to tell whether Harvey is controlling or submissive, vengeful or forgiving, pained or indifferent. Harvey does not reveal extreme opinions or perspectives on anything. In places where Harry makes his own choices, such as CHAPTER 33: REPLACE MOTHER'S DEAD WITH SURGERY OF FEBRUARY 2018, Harvey is portrayed as an introverted, sensitive soul. If this is true, there is a compelling potential to offer readers a glimpse of Harvey's rich inner world, sparking their curiosity.
Harvey's weak characterization is detrimental to the narrative more than anything because, at best, it portrays Harvey as a flat character who takes up space in the story, and at worst, it suggests that her imagination and her issues cause Linda's tensions and challenges more than by Harley’s contribution to their relationship dynamic. This lack of depth in Harvey's character makes it difficult for the reader to fully understand the dynamics of Linda and Harvey's relationship, and it undermines the narrative's exploration of long-term marital relationships. However, it's important to note that Linda's character, in particular, is significantly shaped by her relationship with Harvey. His presence brings out her insecurities, fears, and strengths, adding layers to her character and influencing her decisions and actions throughout the narrative.
Shane
Shane is an enigma. Humanly speaking, he is real enough. His actions, dialogue, and motivations are unpredictable, sufficient that Shane passes for a feeling, breathing individual, a man with a complicated past and longings that go deeper than just a superficial pursuit of one-night stands. Shane may play the role of the villain, but his tenderness toward Linda and the many pangs of sadness he harbours in life do not make for a despicable character. The mystery surrounding Shane's character is deliberately crafted to pique the audience's curiosity, leaving them intrigued and wanting to know more about this complex individual.
Marina
Although we rarely see her, Marina is introduced as Linda's best friend. She is centred in some scenes, and her characterization is believable enough. She is painted as a wise, trustworthy friend. In some ways, she acts as a foil to the narrator: her philosophical, pondering nature makes her a great fit with Linda, but she has an entirely different outlook on life and is a free-spirited woman in the ways Linda is not. Be careful of what is said about her: in CHAPTER 14: IN Vancouver Linda's Best Friend Marina, Marina shouts about Linda's orgasm; in the following chapter, CHAPTER 15: IN VANCOUVER - THE SLEEPOVER AND THE SECRET SPIL, Marina also shouts several times, but then she is described as a person who does not quickly get excited. Marina may not receive frequent and consistent screen time, but her influence on Linda's life is felt through most of the critical moments of Linda's journey. Though not always visible, her presence is a constant in Linda's life, shaping her decisions and actions. Marina's influence is significant, making the audience feel her impact on Linda's life, and the profound role she plays in shaping Linda's character.
Key Themes
Existential questions, religious conversion, Human sexuality, Sexual identity, women’s health and social studies…
Setting
The chapters of this memoir serve as a compelling opening to the story. Set in Brussels, 2018, Guinea, Vancouver, and New York, they introduce us to the first-person narrator and her deeply intertwined journey. Her relationships with her husband Harvey and friend Marina, her relentless struggle to prove her biological father and old culture wrong, her spiritual or religious beliefs, and the sense of loss of her womanhood all form a complex and relatable narrative. The narrator's unwavering resilience in the face of these challenges will surely inspire you.
Most importantly, we see a picture of the protagonist deeply questioning the essence of what it means to be human, a woman without a clitoris and with a renewed identity through Science and the power of the Eucharistic healing from her incessant bleeding. She boldly explores a world of equality and holiness by the grace of God, challenging societal norms and religious beliefs. This exploration of equality and holiness is a central theme of the memoir, and it will surely enlighten you. The setup is intense, compelling, and suspenseful, leaving you on the edge of your seat, craving more.
Most importantly, we see a picture of the protagonist deeply questioning the essence of what it means to be human, a woman without a clitoris and with a renewed identity through Science and the power of the Eucharistic healing from her incessant bleeding. She boldly explores a world of equality and holiness by the grace of God, challenging societal norms and religious beliefs. This exploration of equality and holiness is a central theme of the memoir, and it will surely enlighten you. The setup is intense, compelling, and suspenseful, leaving you on the edge of your seat, craving more.
Questions for Book Clubs
- Do you feel a sense of virtual travel through this story, appreciating the author's craft in bringing the setting to life?
- How does the book's title, intricately woven with the book's contents, spark your curiosity and engage you in the story?
- If you could give it a new title, what would it be?
- What did you think of the writing? Are there any standout sentences or metaphors?
- Do you think this book is more than just a memoir? It is a powerful mirror reflecting our shared experiences and emotions, inviting you to connect and reflect on your own journey.
- Would you want to read another book by Lawrelynd Bowin?
- Who is your favourite character?
- How did your favourite character evolve throughout the book?
- Which occurrence of her life was the most compelling to you?
- What did you learn from her story?
- Lawra Linda experiences different kinds of love growing up. Can you relate to any --- expressed through family, security, passion, grief, kinship, tolerance, acceptance and good humor?
- Can you elaborate on Lawra Linda's various relationships? How does the author, Lawrelynd Bowin, skillfully capture the complex ways we love, feel sexual shame, and fall out of love, sparking an engaging and thought-provoking discussion? In what ways does our capacity for love change over time?
