Paul Breer

Illusions of the Heart Paul Breer

Illusions of the Heart contains two short stories, each revolving around the theme of internet romance. In Residues of Love two women explore the farthest reaches of intimacy in the privacy of an online chat room. Je T?Adore tells the story of a man who falls hopelessly in love with a woman who wants nothing to do with the opposite sex. Both tales can be read on a variety of levels. For the philosophically inclined they raise the age-old issue of appearance versus reality. For others they speak of a world where community ties give way to the anonymity of computer screens and keyboards.
Still others will read the stories as straight-forward tales of romance, both tragic and comic. Given their explicit nature, the erotic scenes may offend readers still clinging to Victorian sensibilities. In this respect the stories properly belong to that literary tradition, primarily French, where erotica is raised to the level of fine art.