I am a bit puzzled how to rate this book. It was very readable - but did I want to read this? What was it about? Perhaps, there are no answers... ( )

Awkward. I often found myself lost at times. Was this happening currently or is this still a flashback? ( )

Estoy revolucionada con esta novela eròtica . Es tremenda y difìcil pero sin dejar de ser profunda y tan bien escrita que con alguna que otra frase se me hizo un nudo en la garganta .

EXCELENTE . La empecè a leer a la noche y demàs esta decir que me retrasò todo lo que tenìa planeado porque no podìa parar de leer .

El dìa que pueda pensar en esta historia sin deprimirme o sin que me den ganas de leerla de nuevo , voy a escribir una reseña pasable .

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Bueno , acá voy ...



La historia en su totalidad , las complicaciones y las acciones de cada uno de los protagonistas es lo que más atrapa . No hay nada más gratificante que leer un libro que te deje ALGO . Que pase un tiempo y sigas pensando en él y tratando de entender porqué pasó lo que pasó , qué quiso decir la autora con tal cosa y que significa tal capítulo o las consecuencias finales para cada relator . A mi me dejó una sensación de tristeza , angustia , de tanto en tanto cierta afinidad o comprensión , pero sobre todo satisfacción .

Es una novela erótica muy difícil de leer (por sus escenas , no por su escritura) y seguramente para la gente que se asquea o se impresiona muy fácilmente no sea muy grato empezarla . Sin embargo si pueden pasar del terrible y explícito primer capítulo , seguramente puedan seguirla .

Más allá del contenido sexual , vale la pena leerla . Maguire escribe tan bellamente que en ciertos párrafos me hizo acordar un poco a la poesía en Lolita (ya saben , Humbert Humbert y sus hermosas palabras para actos enfermizos ; esa poesía que te gusta pero te deja la piel de gallina ) pero con un toque más moderno y palabras menos sutiles .

Muy recomendable para la clase de gente que vio o leyó "LA Profesora de Piano" y se la bancó hasta el último minuto . (Si , así de dura es esta historia .)
( )

This was a very disturbing book for me. Many times I wanted to stop reading it but I was compelled to finish it hoping for a redeeming ending. In this hope I was disappointed.

Sarah was a 14 year old student in Sydney when she encountered the man who would change her life. Daniel Carr was her English literature teacher and Sarah was a precocious reader. Her parents were workaholics and emotionally and often physically absent. Mr. Carr seduced Sarah with poetry and soon they were having intercourse after school. After a few months of the affair Carr moved away to Brisbane and Sarah was bereft. She became sexually promiscuous and very wild although continued to receive good grades. At age 16 she moved out on her own, supporting herself by waitressing. Her main support was her best friend, Jamie, a nerdy, shy boy who was in love with Sarah. Seven years later Sarah was at Jamie's birthday party when she was confronted by Daniel Carr. Carr has never been able to forget Sarah and the feeling is mutual. Their relationship spirals down into more and more violence but Sarah is convinced she loves Carr and he loves her.

I just cannot buy the argument that this kind of relationship is loving. I don't think that people who really care for one another want to hurt them. Maybe that shows my lack of sophistication but I have seen far too many women abused physically, sexually and emotionally by men to feel that violence is a part of love. ( )

Taming the Beast is one of my favourite books. The plotline, the characters, it was all sensational and titillating and depressing at the same time. It was real, and gritty, and the cold hard truth about some people and some relationships.

It didn’t seek to glamourize anything. Instead it stripped us of comfort and made us deal with the fact that people aren’t perfect, and we’re all messed up. Some are able to hide it better than others, and some are able to move past it, but the world isn’t always going to have a happily ever after.

Even though I cried – bawled, really – at the ending, I still love this book. I feel like I will constantly be looking for another Taming the Beast. The plot and characters were memorable and fantastic, and I just want more. ( )