Threesome

The Jill Emerson Novels, Book 5

By: Lawrence Block, Jill Emerson

Narrated by: Dolores McDougal, Bill Weeden

Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Jill Emerson, whose first three works were gentle explorations of the lesbian experience, took a sharp turn toward candor in Thirty, her first book for Berkley.

As I’ve explained in the book description for that novel, around the time Berkley came calling (via my agent) I’d become disenchanted with the whole notion of fiction recounted by some disembodied third- or first-person narrator. It struck me as artificial, and my response was to pile artifice upon artifice and produce a novel in the guise of an actual document.

In Thirty, the novel pretended to be a diary. That worked fine, and the resultant narrative proved at once challenging and effortless to sustain. I enjoyed writing it, Berkley enjoyed publishing it - and they wanted something else. What they got in Threesome was a novel pretending to be a novel.

The premise, as you’ll see, is that the book has been written by its three main characters, Harry and Rhoda and Priss, in the form of a lightly fictionalized chronicle of their own life as a menage a trois. They set about writing alternate chapters - and, reading one another’s work as they go along, they learn things they hadn’t known, and one thing leads to another, and - I think the phrase we want is tour de force, and how nice to be able to use it in the same book description as menage a trois.

The book was also about as much fun as I’ve ever had while sitting at a typewriter.

©1970 Lawrence Block (P)2020 Lawrence Block

Surprising Story

When one thinks of erotica, plot is often not the first thing that comes to mind. That said, pretty much anything Lawrence Block writes is going to have at least some plot. For me, one of the surprising elements about Threesome is that he managed to sneak so much plot into the book. Yes, there is sex and plenty of it, but there is also a lot of story to keep the sex in context.

One of Block's strengths is character, and the three main characters are full-blooded, complex people, each with his or her own agenda - quite refreshing in a genre that specializes in parts rather than people. And each of the people grows in some way over the course of their revelations. The ending, where the participants coalesce into a real, stable - if extended - family, is one of the most interesting points. Polyamorous relationships take a fair amount of work. Block portrays some of that without being preachy about it. Each character has his or her sticking points and issues, and they are not hidden from the reader.

It's ostensibly an exploration of a triad, suggested by one of the members as a vehicle for making money. It turns into a fascinating examination of the dynamics of a triad - something not as common when the book was written as it is now. It may be that the book is not shocking to me because of this; admittedly I know people who are part of triads. Still, I found this a rather gentle introduction to the world of polyamory.

The readers, Dolores McDougal and Bill Weeden, are exceptional. Kudos especially to Dolores for the very different voices she gives the two women. I hope to hear this pair read many more books - both from Block and other authors.

This book might not be "for everyone," but it certainly is something most people could enjoy. I'd even have passed it on to my mom had she still been alive.

Tremendous

I have not read many of Lawrence Block’s Jill Emerson novels and I found that Threesome was a tremendously enjoyable listen that makes it clear I need to check out the remainder of the Emerson books. As you surely already know, Threesome is presented as the work of three lovers recounting their three-way relationship with the intention of writing a book and possibly seeing their lives become a best seller. The work becomes therapeutic to them, replacing meaningful conversation they should have been having in person as their situation grows thorny over time. The conceit that these three people are not actually writers allows for a casual narrative, one that proved to be a very good listen especially given the shared narration from Dolores McDougal and Bill Weeden. The two do a magnificent job, only hampered by the occasional long stretches of dialogue that lack a “I said,” “she said,” etc. Weeden perfectly captures the wise cracking mix of joviality and what you may consider ego of the character Harry while McDougal’s handling of Rhoda and Priss brings remarkable life to the two women who have loved each other in the past before finding themselves as two thirds of the triangle. She makes the joy, fear, lust, regret, and need of each woman as real as any emotion can be.


The shared narration from the three characters allows us an insight into their trepidations and self consciousness, the others’ responses to these feelings of love and insecurity in a way that we might not have in traditional single narrator storytelling. There seems to be a lot to unpack as former lovers get back together while one is married, the question of parenthood and how it plays into the perceived sterility that had plagued a marriage, and the idea of infidelity within and without the threesome provides more to chew on that you might expect from a book that originally sold, no doubt, on its sex appeal. And there is sex, of course. There is content more explicit than what you would see if you read one of Block’s erotic novels from the fifties, though far less than what modern writers can include. Whether or not what is included is sexy is for you to decide, though nothing seems particularly gratuitous. The humour is worth mentioning, too. If you’re familiar with Lawrence Block outside the Matthew Scudder series, it will come as no surprise that this book is incredibly funny. Many of Block’s erotic novels deal with the coming of age or self discovery of their protagonists, and Threesome is no different, seemlessly merging its humour with sex with the psychological implications of relationships (and how this can change as the idea of “tradition” is tossed aside), told in a casual, breezy manner.

I would be remiss not to mention that those of you who have read the product description will have seen Block’s real-life story of getting a ride with several college students, and what comes of that. The event is fictionalized -- to an extent -- in his book Ronald Rabbit is a Dirty Old Man, which is also available on Audible. When you have finished Threesome, it is well worth your time to give that very different book a listen.

Lawrence Block has more than earned his reputation of one of the greatest crime writers to pick up a pen, though readers who have ignored his work outside the genre have done themselves a disservice. Be it erotica, memoir, writing for writers, comedy, or whatever else catches your interest, Block has maintained an unreasonably high standard for over half a century. Threesome, an erotic novel that reaches well beyond what it should have achieved, is a tremednously enjoyable book with fantastic narration. Recommended.

a fun fast FFM "vintage" erotica listen

I'm not a regular reader of contemporary menage, but I couldn't pass by the chance to listen to this short novel from the author's erotica writing days. As always with this author, there's a strong sense of time & place, a great sense of humor,and a fast-moving story with an escalating variety of scenes.

In a very real sense this is a menage romance, but contemporary romance often shies away from any outside sexual adventures, As a vintage title, this book does include scenes where characters step outside the growing thruple. If that upsets you, well, it was a different time...

Note: I received a free reviewer's copy from the author but a review was not required.