Les Liaisons dangereuses

Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) is a famous French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in 1782.

Related Topics:
French - Epistolary novel - Pierre Choderlos de Laclos - 1782

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The book fascinates with its dark undertones. It is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two rivals who use sex as a weapon to humiliate and degrade others, all the while enjoying their cruel games. It also depicts the decadence of the French aristocracy shortly before the French Revolution; thus it is seen as a work that exposes the perversions of the so-called Ancien Régime.

Related Topics:
Sex - Aristocracy - French Revolution - Ancien Régime

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The book is composed entirely of letters written by the various characters to each other. Especially the letters between Valmont and the Marquise set up the story, but those of other characters serve as illustrations and give the story its depth.

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The novel has been translated into English many times, with Douglas Parmée's recent translation (Oxford: OUP, 1995) generally being the preferred version. It is the origin of the saying "Revenge is a dish best served cold", a paraphrased translation of Laclos's "La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid.".

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