The Misfortunes of Virtue and Other Early Tales

by Marquis de Sade

Book Overview

The name of the Marquis de Sade is synonymous with the blackest corners of the human soul, a byword for all that is most foul in human conduct. In his bleak, claustrophobic universe, there is no God, no human affection, and no hope. This selection of his early writings, some making their first appearance in English in this new translation by David Coward, reveals the full range of Sade's sobering moods and considerable talents. This is a fully annotated...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192836951
• ISBN13: 9780192836953
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.7" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

What? No sex and torture?

This collection of short stories proves that the Marquis de Sade was a real writer, and a brilliant one. Some of these stories are excellent example of storytelling. They were written in his earlier days before he started writing the violent pornographic novels on which his reputation stands. In these stories, Sade shows great range--satire, low farce, sophisticated comedy, morality tale, mystery tale, documentary realism, and even a touch of mythology as he puts his own twist on the Faust legend in one of the stories. This volume also includes Sade's infamous mockery of God and religion "Dialogue Between a Priest and a Dying Man" as well as a shorter, "clean" version of "Justine."

Essential.

This is arguably the best starting point for one who is interested in the Marquis' writings.

The philosophy of vice

This is the first version of "Justine". It has a moralizing facade, in order to circumvent censorship, but behind it there is the bitter philosophy of pleasure and vice. The existence of good requires the existence of evil, in identical proportions. Good people fail; bad people triumph. Justine suffers all her life, in incredible amount, the deceptions and vexations of perverted beings who openly rejoice in the practice of evil. Justine passes through the hands of supposed protectors who beat, humiliate and rape her without the slightest trace of compassion. The central episode concerns Justine's reclusion in a monastery. You'll see what the monks do to the lady. On the other hand Juliette, the sister from whom Justine was separated since birth, advances as she dedicates herself to theft, prostitution and murder, thanks to which she has prospered in the world. At some point, they will meet again, with consequences that you'll find out at the end, after reading this jewel of perversion.This edition includes other tales, in one of which a group of young aristocrats punish the avarice and perversion of a repulsive old judge who wants to marry a young beauty.

Accessible de Sade

this book is accessible for those who find Sade's more famous stuff too difficult. Philosophy in the Bedroom, and Justine... it's hard to get past the turds & embuggery. Once you let your mind see what's actually going on, and read & re-read, Sade's ideas may become clearer.OR! in Misfortunes of Virtue, Sade's ideas are bite-sized and closer to the surface. No, it's not as risque and nauseatingly detailed, but it is so much easier to see, "AHHH! so that's what Sade wants to me get."The story Windbags of Providence is hilarious. Mildly risque, but he's making commentary about religion, government oficials, and the artist as the artist relates to society.This stuff is in the gigantic book, Philosphy in the Bedroom, but it's so much harder to find it.This book is worth having, definitely.

An interesting look at the young Marquis.

Sade is known primarily for his unprintable, unpublishable works, but most of the short stories or fables in this collection are only slightly risque, if they are at all. Primarily adaptations of folk tales from around Provence, or attacks on the administrative figures who hounded him under three regimes, these stories show a different side of Sade: the humorist. Also included is _Les Infortunes des Virtu_, the first version of _Justine_, and considered by many Sade scholars to be the best.