Juliette

by Marquis de Sade

Book Overview

"An amazing sequence of imaginatively bizarre sexual adventures punctuated by philosophical and theological digression. Mlle. De Maupin, Lolita, Candy--all pale beside Juliette."--Library Journal

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802130852
• ISBN13: 9780802130853
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 1205 Pages
• Weight: 2.06 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

The mind of an evil genius!

Vicente Munoz Puelles's The Arch of Desire was an excellent referral to Marquis de Sade's work. This exquisitely dark novel about the workings of an evil genius's mind enthralled me. No sooner did I start reading this book than it consumed me until its final pages.Various arresting matters are brought on in Juliette, and they all mix erotica with dark messages that somehow sound logical. Marquis de Sade states that doing evil leads to personal fulfillment. He relies upon the success of various political dictators and powerful people with no scruples to illustrate his opinion. Also, he assures the reader that acting upon the most taboo subjects - murder, atheism, incest, rape, hatred - will free you from all inhibitions. In other words, crime, not truth, shall set one free. He illustrates the aforementioned horrid details from a young woman's vantage point. Juliette is quite a character. Marquis de Sade was one of the best, albeit underrated, literary authors out there. His work is just as, if not more, controversial than Nietzsche, and he possessed the same sort of disarming genius. This novel's content is not to be agreed upon, but for sheer intellectual stimulation it can't be beaten. I look forward to reading more of his work, especially Justine - the counterpoint of Juliette - with utmost anticipation.

A wonderful and mysterious masterpiece!

First of all, this book is not for puritans and religious fanatics. This is a profound philosophical work which explores the "real" side of human nature, its inherent longing to lust and crime. The truth is we are all predators who live to survive and enjoy as much pleasure in life as we can. The shocking pictures of evil presented by De Sade reveal this naked and painful human nature.Explicit sexual scenes and disturbing acts of unspeakable evil are everywhere in this book interlaced with philosophy. Please read this book and you will never be the same!

A Dark Masterpiece

Amidst the gratuitous sex and abhorrent violence, this book contains a philosophy of pure libertinage that should not be ignored. The 10% of this work that is not pornography details a unique, startling, frighteningly base school of thought that I have not encountered before or since reading this (rightfully) immortal tome. Man, as protrayed in Juliette, is a self-serving, solitary beast that will commit acts of the most extreme depravity on a mere bout of caprice. Life is meaningless, God is dead, and no one matters save for yourself. This extreme nihilism is said to be the "right" way to live by Sade's characters, for nature allows their every "misdeed." Many would deem this mindset insane, but I ask them "why is it insane?" Is it not true? In the book, and in reality, it is only the subjectively chosen morality of other men that prevents us from acting on our most insidious desires. There is no right and wrong, because everything is permitted by nature. The adamant atheism, blasphemy, violence and selfishness entailed in the book is what makes me respect it so. I reccomend this work to every free thinker that can sit throught 1100+ pages of scatology. It is worth weeding through the shocking, occasionally repetitive porn to feast on the juicy nuggets of philosophy within.

A dark masterpiece

Undoubtedly Sade's chief novel, "Juliette" describes the lengthy adventures of a beautiful young whore who uses her body to obtain the money and power she craves. Her numerous sexual adventures are described in minute detail, as are her equally numerous murders and other less pleasant debaucheries. The whole is punctuated with philosophical discussion regarding the nature of sex, God, and mankind. This is a very intense book, and one which has upset and offended many, many people since it was first published in the 1790's. If the subject of sex offends you, do not read this book. However, if you can stand a cold, dispassionate account of the human sex drive, and its function and meaning, then read "Juliette" immediately. One final comment - Sade's writing is often dismissed as "repetitive," but what could be more repetitive than the physical motions of sexual intercourse?