The first time I came across this book was through Zita Law, a famous writer in Hong Kong. Beside her novels which I would class mostly Magical Realism/Fantasy-romance type, she wrote extensive amount of articles and reviews. I adored her book reviews, and the variety of her book choices indeed widen my variety of preferences. Melissa Panarello’s “100 Strokes of the Brush before Bed” was one of the book she read and review in March 2007, Zita described the book as a passionate book on faith toward happiness. I especially liked the concept behind the title, how strokes of the brush can lead to one’s possible fate toward happiness, alongside the fact it fit with the story so perfectly (a girl’s search of love and happiness through some very violent sexual experiences).
I did not remember why I didn’t try to look for the book straight away, but I guess I was afraid of the possible hassles I might receive from all around me. For some reasons, society or families seemed reacted dramatically when women read sex or try to pleasure herself on sex, when for men it seemed normal as the procedures of brushing your teeth etc. Some argued it was to control women by giving them series of restrictions and regulations on sex, some up to a point that even women themselves began regulating their own peer too. I remembered clearly how I found myself impossible to utter out loud that I was reading erotic novels to people around me, unless I was reading “Fifty Shades of Grey” (despite bad quality, it helped women able to read erotic novels without hiding too much) or hanging around with friends who were more liberal-minded.
A while later I saw the book among the boxes of donated books in my volunteering place, I did not know why I didn’t seize my chance and grabbed it. At this very moment, I did slightly regret the fact I didn’t do so…maybe it would still be in the place, or not at all. I presume that would be what we known as “missed opportunities”, might as well put it on the Christmas/Birthday wish list.
The World of C.C. 