Draft:The Confession

Outline
The Confession, published by Austin Macauley 2022 is the debut novel by A K Pasek which, while classified as erotica also has some psychological perspectives as detailed by the author, both in her brief biography and within the text itself. Set in Warsaw, Poland the main protagonist, Ania, is in a stable, but somewhat unconventional relationship with her girlfriend Dominika. While this is clearly a same sex relationship the Pasek takes great pains to emphasse that this not what makes their relationship unusual. Rather it is that BDSM, while not a significant element of the novel, plays a defining role in their relationship, interactions and lifestyle with Ania taking on the role of a sub(missive) and Dominika taking on the role of the Domme / Dominatrix. It is written in a first person memoir style from Ania's perspective and consequently it almost feels biographical and with close attention to dates being added it can almost be read as a diary. Within the scope of the narrative Pasek is able to use an inner voice (usually notated as italicised prose) to express Ania's emotions, fears and worries. The scope of the novel covers a period of just a few months, roughly from the beginning of May 2019 to the end of June 2019 during which time Ania embarks on a short-lived affair with Elwira a girl from her university class. Later, overwhelmed with guilt, Ania breaks off the affair and confesses all to Dominika. Dominika breaks off the relationship and Ania is sent into a spiral of ever destructive circumstances before final a final cataclysmic event brings the novel to an end.

Themes
While a superficial look at the book and it's content may leave the reader with the impression that it is nothing more than erotica a closer examination demonstrates that there are a number of themes woven within the text that are highly relevant in today's culture.

Consent
Surprisingly (or maybe not so much so given the BDSM backdrop to the novel) Consent is a theme that runs consistently throughout the novel. Pasek seems to have placed great emphasis on the necessity for consent even in the most sexually heated of situations which the protagonist faces.

LGBT+
The entire novel revolves around Ania and Dominika's relationship; with Elwira being the lover. This consequently gives the story and a very strong lesbian thread. However, in spite of this, the fallout that each of the girls face as a result of Ania's infidelity is well-grounded in compelling sense of reality that the reader can identify with. It seems that Pasek is going out of her way to "normalise" the challenges that same sex couples face in that they are essentially the same as each and every one of us faces.

So in not writing specifically about LGBT+ she is making the point that her story is about real people and real relationships where interaction and behaviours rather than gender and sexuality are at the core.