Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150546 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 753 pages

Customer Reviews

A book that shows the other side
People intrested in sadomasochistic sex are often thought of as people who are on the fringe of society, as people who have not learnt the rules and who cannot fit in. Sade however was obviously very intelligent, his philosophies are well thought out and contain ingenious analogies. Having studied numerous similar religeous theologies for several years I found it was very stimulating to read a convincing argument of the contrary. He does a good job of making a life of vice and selfishness sound a excusable path to choose. One last point, I think the Dialogue between a priest and a dying man is one of the most thought provoking pieces I have ever read.

Interesting Philosophy
Sades philosophy, that virtue by its very nature cannot withstand against vice, is thought provoking and it is for this that these stories are worth taking a look at. The writing style, though, can be a bit tiresome. The characters are all one-dimensional and many times Sade writes pages and pages of descriptive narrative that goes absolutely nowhere except right back to where it began. Not for the impatient.

A Masterpiece!
These stories, the best the Marquis ever wrote, are among the finest literary works I've ever read.

Justine is a wonderful story about a poor girl who goes through life suffering one misfortune after the other (10 in all.) She has her toe cut off, is abused in a convent, punched by the elderly and forced to do slave labour amongst other things. The book is entertaining and paints a bleak look of a women who has chosen the unwise path of Virtue over Vice.

The Philosophy is equally if not more entertaining. The story is a simple tale about a group of libertines who take it upon themselves to corrupt a virgin. The ending with the girls mother is sick and the story follows a predictable pattern rotating sex with philosophy.

Eugenie de Franvale, a 70 page story is the true masterpiece of the book. Surprisingly restraines for the Marquis, the plt involves an incestuos affair between a Father and his daughter. Both evil. The character of Clervil is wonderful and the stoy has many moments of exceptional dialogue.

Everyone should read this story. It is tame but an absolute masterpiece.

Overall, the Marquis seems to me like a wonderful writer, He is extremely intelligent and has a way of convincing the reader to support his atheist leanings. Those who pan the stories clearly haven read them, if not they would realize De Sade is a great writer who only contradicts society's views.