This is really fast paced, unexpectedly, for a book of 18th century french...letters. It's still totally relevant to the cost of manipulation, and in the end is very moral, I thought. ( )

Forget the movie and the play, the original book is stunning -- one of the best I have ever read in my life. I recommend it as highly as possible. The writing and plotting is beyond brilliant, each letter (it's a novel entirely composed of letters), has at least two, if not three or four, ways in which it can be understood. It's an orgy of meaning and of course an orgy in the more ordinary sense of the word as well. It's recognized as a chilling look at the worst of human nature -- I'd also argue it's a subtle and remarkable account of the nature and fragility of human good. ( )

“Les liaisons dangereuses” tells the shocking story of two friends who amuse themselves by pursuing sexual relationships for the sole purpose of gaining power and destroying the character of their victims. Using an epistolary style that implicates the reader in making him read about events that would better have stayed private, the novel poses a great moral question: is it truly possible to be the victim of romantic manipulation, or is innocence of the dangers of trusting a stranger just as grave a fault? As the character Madame de Volanges explains, "I see the wicked punished in all this; but I find no consolation in it for their unfortunate victims." There are critics who agree with me that the novel is sometimes a bit heavy and that Laclos could have suppressed a few repetitive passages, but in general I found that the big questions of the novel were worth the slightly difficult work of reading.

The Barnes and Noble edition of this book contains biographical information on the life of Laclos and his times, footnotes glossing difficult vocabulary, endnotes explaining historical and literary references cited throughout the novel, two letters excised from the original manuscript, a summary of film adaptations of the work, a set of critical comments and questions to guide further discussion, and a bibliography of additional sources pertaining to the text. ( )

Even a myriad of modern stage or screen adaptations have not exhausted the tremendous moral force of this simply shocking drama, immoral in the profoundest sense. Not for being somewhat sexually explicit, but in the exposure of such cruel & deeply manipulative aristocratic parasites as its 2 main characters, Valmont & Mme de Merteuil.

Enlightenment in the face of evil. ( )

I appreciate the literary significance of this epistolary novel, and I'm glad I finished it, but it was a struggle. The first 2 parts of the book I found to be boring, but I enjoyed parts 3 and 4. These aristocrat characters live in France right before the revolution. They are connected by various unhealthy love connections and clearly have too much time on their hands. The overarching theme of the book is good vs. evil. Smaller themes center on desire and war (i.e. the battle of various sexual exploits). I do recommend reading this book because of its literary weight, but it’s not an easy read. ( )