Room at the Top; John Braine; 1957

I want to like this book for the good parts, but there's a vast cultural chasm of casual violence against women that simply cannot be bridged.

There's a love scene that begins well with a line from Alice:

"I'm all twisted.  This is a terribly moral kind of car."

...and as she and Joe are getting out of the vehicle:

She kissed my hands. "They're beautiful," she said.  "Big and red and brutal... Will you keep me warm?"

Hands that can do violence to you are sexy, Alice?!  Later, Susan and Joe have the following exchange:

"I'm not cold, so there."

"Don't argue. Or I'll beat you black and blue."

"I'd like that."

Susan would really like to be beaten?!  Or she thinks he'd like to beat her and by acquiescing to that he'll be sweet on her?!  Or they're just joking?  I'd like to think it's just a bad joke, but later Alice and Joe, in what I can only imagine was intended as part of a longer romantic passage:  

"This is the country for passion, darling."

I bit her ear gently.  "Is that a promise?"

"Anything you want," she said in a whisper.  "You can beat me if you like."

What the hell??!  If this were BDSM, I wouldn't "get it" but at least could accept it.  This feels like a complete mischaracterization of male-female relations.