Dangerous Liaisons (Barnes & Noble Classics) (original 1782; edition 1782)

I don't know if this has occurred to anyone else, but all the machinations and pretenses ended up reminding me of the idea of courtly love -- of Andreas Capellanus' The Art of Courtly Love. Obviously the context is very different, and there is a consciousness of wickedness that isn't there with the medieval form of courtly love. But even so, the comparison was just so obvious to me.

It's a very well put together piece of work, and I appreciate its ambiguities as well -- the translation and accompanying notes are very good. It is, of course, full of horrible people, but I think anyone who knows anything about the book knows that in advance. ( )

My audiobook was a Librivox.org download. The main narrator is very good. There are 4 other narrators that at most read 15 of the 175 letters of the book.

This is high intrigue, deception, envy, jealousy, manipulation, innocence lost, love lost at its best. One of my favorite parts is "Ce n'est pas de ma faute" letter. I still get shivers hearing John Malkovich acting this out in the movie.

As good as I remembered when I first read it, saw it on film and now listened to it. ( )

Shocking! Scandalous! An outrage to public decency! This book must have caused quite a stir when it was first printed in the late 1700's. Sexual innuendo leaps from the pages of this beautifully written epistolary novel. De Laclos certainly accomplished what he set out to do, to create a work that would last long after his death.

The Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont are two of the most devious minded characters I've ever had the pleasure to be disgusted by. Seriously. Still, I had to admire their dedication. They want revenge and will stop at nothing to get it. They know what they are doing and they do it well.

I thoroughly savored every page of Dangerous Liaisons. Thank you to The Classics Club for spinning this book in my direction. The wit and wickedness will be on my mind for a long time to come. ( )

Definitely the best epistolary book I have ever read and probably one of the best novels displaying the double morale in the eighteenth century Paris.
Monsieur de Laclos masters the style, creating two hero-villain characters whom, although monsters without scruples, one can't help to admire. They are playful, amusing, witty and skillful in the art of deception. They are also vain, prideful creatures who seek their own pleasure without caring for the outcome of their poor victims.
Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont are incredibly wealthy and bored to death . So they play dangerous games for entertainment, imposing challenges to each other, seducing young virgins, making adulteress out of prude virtuous women, taking revenge of formers lovers ruining their reputation... and they succeed in doing all the mischief they want without being discovered. What's more, they are honourable and well received in society!
Imagine their mirth when they accomplish every evil scheme they propose while they become their victims' only friends and saviours.

But apart from the elaborated style and the amusing display of strategic tactics which thread the story, one can't miss the allusion to the thin line of what's morally right or wrong. Is "what is socially accepted" the true and only way?
Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont are not exemplary models of sincerity or frankness, but they challenge the imposed rules somehow, they outwit hypocrisy, the problem is that they only do it to achieve personal gratification, corrupting their souls and everyone who dare to trust in them.

In my opinion, it's incredible that a novel written more than 180 years ago, might still stir deep emotions in those who can invest a moment of their time to think about the possible reasons that led a man like M. de Laclos to write this controversial story.
Don't take this novel only as a mere diversion, it's much more than that. It's about recognising that each of us has some of the Vicomte or of the Marquise in us, we are all vain and proud and think ourselves superior to the rest. That's why I value this work, because it reminds us of what wretched and capricious creatures we humans can become. ( )

This is one of my top 3 favorite books. One of the best epistolary novels ever written, it chronicles the adventures of two courtiers, le ViComte Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil and their manipulative adventures in the world of courtly "love." Spurned by her lover, Merteuil wants to corrupt his finace by having someone take her virginity. Meanwhile, Valmont is insistant of seducing the young and beautiful Mme de Tourvel, a devoted wife. When these two devious seducers make a bet regarding Valmont's success in seducing Tourvel, amorous hell breaks loose, leading to the corruption of more than one innocent. It's a juicy read, full of beautiful people, beautiful language and an adundance of intrigue! ( )