O being a symbolic representation of any "hole". The novel was strongly criticised by many feminists , who felt it glorified the abuse of women. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] The book has been the source of various terms that are used in the BDSM subculture such as Samois , the name of the estate belonging to the character Anne-Marie, who brands O. When the film of The Story Of O was released, L'Express magazine ran a feature on the novel and film. This resulted in L'Express being picketed by feminists from the group Mouvement de libération des femmes , who found the novel and film objectionable. [ 2 ] Journalist François Chalais also criticized Story of O , claiming the novel glorified violence; he described the novel as "bringing the Gestapo into the boudoir". [ 2 ] The author used a pen name, then later revealed herself under another pen name, before finally, prior to her death, revealing her true identity. Her lover Jean Paulhan wrote the preface as if the author were unknown to him. According to an article by Geraldine Bedell, [ 1 ] published in The Observer on Sunday 24 July 2004, "Pauline Réage, the author, was a pseudonym, and many people thought that the book could only have been written by a man. The writer's true identity was not revealed until 10 years ago, when, in an interview with John de St Jorre, a British journalist and some-time foreign correspondent of