Landscape of a Woman
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Landscape Of A Woman
Nathalie Hall is beautiful, smart, and wealthy. She is the epitome of the mid-80’s success story. From her humble roots as a native of Jamaica, she was raised and educated in New York and London, and is now living a lavish and sophisticated lifestyle in Paris. Her current relationship with Lisette, the former French queen of punk rock, has developed into a partnership of love and equality, and she seems to have it all. But the foundation of this fulfillment is a history of young lust and love stemming from her tumultuous affair ten years earlier with Tyrone Bellingham, an aristocratic, English, drug-fueled photographer. The sexual abuse she suffered as a young girl has polarized her towards her own sex, and behind the glittering veneer she has fashioned their resides a troubled soul hounded by inner voices of dissent. In the first of a series of flashbacks she returns to London in the early 70's to meet with Tyrone, a potential photographer for her agency, and he turns her world on its head. The city at this time, in full-on glam rock mode, is full of pretty young men, and Tyrone is one of the finest examples. She is enchanted by his charm and by his androgynous good looks. The relationship begins with strictly professional intentions. However, her role as Tyrone’s agent quickly morphs into her being his model, muse, and beautiful obsession. A journey through France and to Formentera, taking photographs for a proposed book, is the catalyst for their highly charged sexual and narcissistic relationship, but becomes peppered with Nathalie’s doubts about Tyrone’s romantic motivation. She questions whether he is sincerely in love with her or if he is simply rebelling against his upbringing by a racist and reactionary family. They hope their great love will overcome all opposition, but a twist of fate lurks in the shadows. The psychedelic journey through love changes them all, and will change you. A compelling debut novel full of compassion, eroticism and humor, written by Byron Newman, for thirty years a photographer for Playboy USA.
Customer Reviews
An adventurous tour worth taking!
I’ll confess up front: when I heard that one of my favorite photographers was venturing into erotic fiction, I cringed. Not just a twinge, a full-on groaning wince. Why? Think Michael Jordan’s foray into baseball, or Madonna’s early “acting.” It is often painful to watch a master of one art form blunder through another.
Much to my delight, however, Mr. Newman remained true to form … translating his eye for beauty and passion for women into an articulate and titillating exposé of an era and it’s lifestyle adventures! He gives voice to the restless eroticism of the 80’s, flavored with a rich flair of European style. Those of us lucky enough to have romped through that playground will recognize the sights, sounds, tastes, and energies of the settings with delight – & find them all yummily enriched by the personalities of his characters.
The women here were another pleasant surprise. Quite often, erotica has a decidedly masculine lean – the characterizations ringing hollow and vaguely cartoonish to me. Again, Mr. Newman’s genuine understanding and respect for women in all their imperfect, sensual glory shines through and wins the day. Just as his impressive body of photographic work encompasses the diversity of women’s personalities and forms, his writing offers real, flawed, sexy, and compelling women who act on their own fantasies and needs, not the stereotypical cravings of vanilla society. Relatable, mysterious, and exciting – the entire cast is worth sharing the trip through this exploration of sensuality and it’s context in a unique place and time.
A final note of appreciation … while Byron manages to stay true to the perspective of his characters, there is no denying that his particularly edgy, very British, slightly ironic voice shines through in proper measure. You will find yourself holding your breath in anticipation, sighing with impatience, & chuckling with glee at the vivid images his prose evokes. In the end, I feel like the author and I are mutual acquaintances of the characters – and it would be lovely to gossip about them over a cup of tea - or a bottle of scotch! Overall, a strong entré into the genre and a novel more insightful than expected – I look forward to seeing more of Mr. Newman’s tales from his lovely, lusty view of the landscape of a woman!