SEDUCTION OF A WANTON DREAMER

Seduction of a Wanton Dreamer tells the story of Tony Fellows, a New Yorker whose life takes a sudden, sharp turn.

When his wife walks out on him, and a strike causes his managerial job at an opera house to go on hiatus, Tony is lost without any definite direction or purpose in life. He decides to decamp to Sag Harbor, Long Island, where he’ll write the next Great American Novel. However, a chance meeting with a mysterious and mystical woman named Loretta soon changes his plans, as she intends to lead him down a path of spiritual, artistic and sexual discovery–which includes self-exploration through vivid dreams and meditative states. As a result, the protagonist comes in contact with many complex and colorful characters that lead him to ruminate on the meaning of artistic expression and spirituality. Tony decides to make Loretta the focus of his novel in progress and attempts to solve the many mysteries surrounding this eccentric woman. He soon learns, however, that Loretta has been the muse and sexual partner for many other men following artistic pursuits–a discovery that, in addition to the return of Tony’s wife, puts their relationship in flux. When Loretta is sent away to a psychiatric home, Tony finds himself pursuing an even greater mystically charged mystery centering around the seemingly innocuous game of dominoes. While the story is undeniably captivating, it stretches on far too long. Each mystery Tony encounters opens up to an even larger mystery that finally climaxes with a spiritual puzzle, and the constant lack of resolution may frustrate some readers. Continuity and plausibility also are lacking in Beeson’s strange mystery. Still, readers will undoubtedly be drawn in by the appealing protagonist and the author’s descriptive writing, which makes vivid both physical scenery and the characters’ physicality.

In dire need of edits but nonetheless an enthralling read rife with creativity.