Book/Erotica
5/5 Stars
Bentmagpie, laureate writer of cream of the crop erotic novels such as “Gropes ‘n’ Roses” and “Vanessa’s Revenge,” has now released his coup de grace, “From Bus to Park.” The title, while immediately confusing, gradually leads you into the underlying genius of this tale: it is a tragedy.
Our mystery protagonist is a tragic hero who is supposed to represent the everyday man. While on the bus, the man finds that he turns intangible when making contact with a woman's derriere. Now invisible, his entire being is corrupted by this power, which grants him a full understanding of what women would want out of a bus ride: his dick. "Your face is flushed, we are breathing on each other’s necks, I can smell your shampoo and soap from your morning shower..."
With his senses heightened, the protagonist gains a knack for understanding the past. From here, he knows the missteps and weaknesses of the women from several years prior. Having access to this knowledge troubles the protagonist only for a few seconds, as he was in a quickie to satisfy himself. Immediately you notice the protagonist’s inner dilemma: not only can’t he control his inner desire but worse, no one on the bus even cares due to his intangibility. He is erotica’s answer to Frankenstein’s Monster – a human creature without restraint or understanding of his new power, much to the dismay of most attractive women on his bus route.
The heroine is the aloof and unexpected participant in this tale. Entangled in the spell of the seemingly villainous protagonist, she also loses control of her very being, now under a trance. After a brief round of intercourse, the heroine suddenly gains a robotic ability to pinpoint the nearest and presumably most secluded place to continue their hypnotic, coital ritual. “And then with a rush the bus stops, you grab me by the hand and lead me through the crowd to get off. This isn't even my stop, but I don't care. ... all I, and my swollen [penis], care about is letting you take me where you want so you can do what you want with me.”
The true strength of “From Bus to Park” is its ambiguity. The main characters are never identified at all, leading to a type of immersion not possible in most character-driven stories. You are the man with this untimely burden to turn invisible and can’t stop fornicating in the public space. You are the woman who seems to have lost your will and resort to gulping of suspicious genetic material.
The result of “From Bus to Park” is a satisfying albeit drawn out climax of a story. When they finish their sexual deviancy, an act against society and circumstance, they become visible once more. The hero and heroine are finally satiated but equally tortured by internal anguish with the events that transpired. The man has realized what he has done but understands that nothing can change, much like an earthquake during a night of make-up coitus. The woman is dazed but in pleasure, unsure of her newfound love machine. While the protagonist never recovers from his affliction, at least he had found a penetration playmate.
