Paradoxia: A Predator's Diary
Lydia Lunch
Published by Creation Press
ISBN: 1840680083
The insanity exorcised in this book allows it to branch out into many different directions. But essentially it is about
primary contact between people in its most primitive form: sex and violence. Even sex itself is seen as an act of violence.
Like her fa vourite writer before her, Lydia Lunch utilizes Jean Genet's metaphor of the two lovers as shadowboxing fighters,
against themselves and each other.
This book is particularly hard to swallow because Lydia Lunch insists that she doesn't write fiction. She presents herself in
all nastiness and isn't afraid to show it all...off? Isn't this all exhibitionism? Still, I find her willingness to share her
exp eriences with you as directly as possible quite admiring. And even when describing her most delerious/drugged out moments,
she will write it down with a deep understanding of hers and others' attraction towards the most horrible and horrific.
You have to take her word when she says that she has never felt guilty for anything she has ever done. Lydia Lunch considers
herself a "member of the sexual minority" and a large part of this book is about her minority status. Yes, the book is loaded
with sex. Some of the first stories we encounter are about her customers which she serviced as an underage streetwalker. Don't
get too excited already! Whether it will turn you on depends on your own level of perversity and tolerance. I personally
-though I carry the word "degenerate" in my alias- could barely read some of these passages. Sex and violence abuse are so
strongly interlinked, the term S&M cannot be applied in many cases for what is being detailed here is abuse. This isn't about
power-exchange, it's mind-fucking powergames.
And it will give you a good dose of the ills that the human mind is capable of making up and allowing to be inflicted upon
itself and everyone else. It's the sickness of the mind made real, in the bed and on the blood-covered knife of one of her
so-called lovers. "...No easy way out. No escape. From yourself. You had to LEARN to DEAL with the cards you were dealt. Had
to learn the hard way that the world doesn't OWE you a fucking thing. Not a reason, nor excuse. No apologies."
The unapologetic honesty will breach your defenses. It will have you soaking up every scary detail, whether you want to read
it or not. "Fear is the greatest aphrodisiac." says Lydia. If you are a real headcase, you will probably read that and the
rest with the delightful shock of recognition.
"...He'd been clean for eight months. Met him at a small party. First reaction was to smack him in the fucking face. Something
about him crawled under my skin. Immediately...His smile could charm the panties off of you. He bothered me so much it made me
curious."
Attrition had a request a while back for the most obnoxious pickup lines. Does a smack in the face count? A punch-up line?
Note: This book has been translated into German, Czech and French. Different prints of the original American version are still
available at import/fringe-literature bookshops. For online distributors go to
http://www.lydialunch.org/links.htm.
Check out what other readers said about it on Amazon.
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