Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Les Liaisons dangereuses

Oh wow, who would have thought something so risqué would have be published 250 years ago. I devoured this! I am a sucker for despicable and nefarious characters and this book has two of them who are just so enjoyable in their villainy. It is all about the rich playing with people because they have nothing else to fulfil their lives and it depicts this so well that I wouldn't be surprised if this book led some people to join the French Revolution!

Even outside of the two villains, the characters are so well drawn and all of their motivations clear. The format of the story through letters is perfect as it forces you to fill in the narrative gaps and makes the reveals all the more shocking. It also adds perfectly to the gossipy nature of the storytelling. All in all, this has been my biggest surprise of the year and a book I will highly recommend to anyone intimidated by classics but not by dark themes.

Content Warnings

adelekittey's review

Go to review page

dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

bookish_5280's review

Go to review page

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I read this book in French, a language which I'm not fluent in. I think this partly played into the reading experience, which I thought was unpleasant. But while I did not enjoy all the time that I spent reading it, I did enjoy reflecting on it and discussing it afterwards. I think it's important in multiple different ways. In a historical sense, it was a brazen book to write, and it played a critical role in the French Revolution, serving as a biting critique of the bourgeoisie and providing an incredibly progressive perspective on the rights and education of women. I also loved the style (after I got past not being able to understand parts of it :)), and the irony and sarcasm that Laclos used were really enjoyable. He was a genius in the sense that he was able to use the epistolary format to create a world in which the reader always has the upper hand, while also being able to show the world the hypocrisy and cruelty of the culture of "libertinage". I still can't decide what rating to give to this book, just because I was so miserable while reading it, but I do have to admit that it was a fascinating story to discuss and learn about. Maybe I should just reread it in English :).

Content Warnings

queenslayerbee's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Forever waiting on my to-read pile, I finished this book about a month ago, and I've thought about it every day since. It was worth the wait; I don't wish I had read it sooner, because I might have not appreciated it as much as a less mature reader. As it is now, it's one of the most engaging novels I've encountered, as well as one of the most fascinating. The prose was verbose and descriptive, full of turns of phrase that constantly left me amazed. The character work was just as effective, aided by the epistolary format: you can't trust these people, you can't trust their version of events, either because they might lie or omit to others or to themselves. You'll second guess them (or at least, you're meant to), and your own assumptions about it; things I love to experience while I read. Merteuil, in particular, gained herself a spot among my most beloved characters of all time. She's scheming and horrid and absolutely marvelous for it, and her subtle war of wills with Valmont was a pleasure to read. All in all, this was a really great read for anybody who enjoys prose on the more intricate side, who wants to read and grapple with the grey area and the basest, most unappealing traits of humanity.

Content Warnings

anja_karenjina's review against another edition

Go to review page

slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Content Warnings

marine2907's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

aliquis's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.5

Content Warnings

sillyduckie's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was such a difficult and challenging read. Most of my rating goes towards the epistolary style of the book and how authentic the characters felt. I personally feel a bit icky after reading this.

Content Warnings

More...