STONER WITH A BONER

A modern tale of sex, drugs and day jobs from author K. (Honey B., 2012).

As the title suggests rather explicitly, this is a book about marijuana and sex. Narrated by an unnamed grocery store manager who explores naughty pleasures in his free time, the praise of marijuana and beautiful women never diminishes. Whether it’s coupling with a woman who enjoys falling asleep during the act or finding the best way to store quality weed, the narrator never bores of either subject. Always careful to maintain his day job, avoid any romantic complications with his love trysts, and not get anywhere near being caught with an illegal substance, the narrator is free to enjoy himself. After all, the outside world respects him as an ordinary citizen by day, while various women devour him by night: “Margaret was not shy, she slid my hand from her knee up between soft bare thighs to her silk covered mound.” Written in a loose, free-wheeling prose that mimics the narrator’s lifestyle, the story glides from woman to woman and bong hit to bong hit without the burdens of plot or conflict. Though many reflections have the tedious feel of a stoner who can’t stop singing pot’s praises (“Marijuana leads to lingering. The herb makes nipples delicious. Nothing like being naked and doing a doobie. Bong. Bong. Bong.”), the composition as a whole is more mature than what one might infer from the title. The narrator repeatedly praises women for their individual differences and sexuality. Erotic scenes are explicit, though the individuals engaged in them are marked with idiosyncrasies. “In Brenda’s case,” says the grocer, “I could catch her scented signal but on my tongue she felt like thick water, clear but possessing weight, it wouldn’t splash, it would smear.” The narrator never gives much more of himself to the reader beyond his somewhat predictable views on drug laws and oral sex, but his adventure is entertaining for those curious about how an attractive, tough-but-fair store manager might spend his weekends.

In spite of a silly title, occasional mature insights into mature acts make for a memorable sexual escapade.