"In the classic novel by Pauline Reage, Story of O, there lies concealed a great philosophical, and virtually mystical, message. It is a message of personal transformation and change, of the path of the human soul on the road to empowerment and even transcendence. ... O..allows herself to be 'given', and since this is essentially an act of her own will, she succeeds in further objectifying her ego in yet another step toward self-realization."

from 'Carnal Alchemy: A Sado-Magical Exploration of Pleasure, Pain and Self-Transformation' by C. Dawn and S. Flowers