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3.08 AVERAGE
3.08 AVERAGE
It took me a while to get into the rhythm of this novel, but once I did I understood it's extravagantly told lessons with ease. Though parts made me queasy, I'm glad I took the time to read this. Being the first novel of Sade that I've read, I didn't know what to expect. I assumed raunchy orgy filled scenes of stomach churning matter, but was surprised. While there isn't lack of, there was more to be gained. Justine's attempts at reason towards her captors and their rebuttals and explanations were philosophical and demanding. I was beyond pleasantly surprised by what I got out of this. But now I'm on to some Jane Austen as a chaser.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lessons learnt: all men in 18th century France were an absolute liability and all sadistic. Justine is a French Tess of the d’Urbervilles.
This is such a bizarre book, it is not the question of whether I liked the book or not, it’s such a gruesome and tragic tale I find it difficult to state the liking or disliking. It is nasty and should come accompanied with every trigger warning under the sun but due to the sheer misery it is an interesting tale to read. Although was a little hard going and at several points I had to put the book down in absolute shock at the misery of Justine. I do think it is a worthy book to read, it is an interesting one in the context of the time Sade was writing, it is so graphic that honestly would be surprised it would be allowed to be published now, and it is clear Sade was deeply unsettled man. It reads at some points like a manifesto as to why people should commit incest, abuse and all other nasty things. Moreover, it is an interesting writing of a tragic heroine, she truly gets it rough and there is some element of sadistic schadenfreude here. It’s not pleasure but one cannot stop reading the miseries and it somehow seems to get worse and worse as the book progresses.
What I will say though is there was a repetition to the book and the details of Justine’s misfortunes: Left one walking, gets abducted, meets a sadistic man who has lots of wild sexual exploits ready, misery and detail of above, Justine’s speech to these nasty men saying why they should convert to Christianity and stop, an escape. Repeat. So it did get a little repetitive and almost drag on at some points.
Also I literally don’t know how she managed to get abducted several times, at one point she’s just escaped and she’s like I walked through the woods and forgot it got dark!? Like the probability idk she seems a little silly. And the sheer amount of constant bad luck was a bit like wow not again.
In all a book that makes you think and well worth reading if you have the headspace for the amount of dumpage you get given, I’m pleased I took up Naomi’s suggestion and book.
This is such a bizarre book, it is not the question of whether I liked the book or not, it’s such a gruesome and tragic tale I find it difficult to state the liking or disliking. It is nasty and should come accompanied with every trigger warning under the sun but due to the sheer misery it is an interesting tale to read. Although was a little hard going and at several points I had to put the book down in absolute shock at the misery of Justine. I do think it is a worthy book to read, it is an interesting one in the context of the time Sade was writing, it is so graphic that honestly would be surprised it would be allowed to be published now, and it is clear Sade was deeply unsettled man. It reads at some points like a manifesto as to why people should commit incest, abuse and all other nasty things. Moreover, it is an interesting writing of a tragic heroine, she truly gets it rough and there is some element of sadistic schadenfreude here. It’s not pleasure but one cannot stop reading the miseries and it somehow seems to get worse and worse as the book progresses.
What I will say though is there was a repetition to the book and the details of Justine’s misfortunes: Left one walking, gets abducted, meets a sadistic man who has lots of wild sexual exploits ready, misery and detail of above, Justine’s speech to these nasty men saying why they should convert to Christianity and stop, an escape. Repeat. So it did get a little repetitive and almost drag on at some points.
Also I literally don’t know how she managed to get abducted several times, at one point she’s just escaped and she’s like I walked through the woods and forgot it got dark!? Like the probability idk she seems a little silly. And the sheer amount of constant bad luck was a bit like wow not again.
In all a book that makes you think and well worth reading if you have the headspace for the amount of dumpage you get given, I’m pleased I took up Naomi’s suggestion and book.
dark
informative
reflective
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Annoying and boring. I want Justine to shut the heck up. It's a back and forth between a weakly portrayed Christian and terrible tyrants who treat her like dogcrap. I stopped reading about 7 chapters in, it's simply tedious and not an accurate description of good or evil, I don't think. People are not all one way or the other.
Definitely transgressive, but more than a little repetitive. Some points of philosophical interest and bravura taboo-busting. The long self-satisfied atheistic rants and inclination towards pornography makes you think that De Sade would have been quite at home on today's internet message boards
"the wise man bowed his head solemnly and spoke: 'theres actually zero difference between good & bad things. you imbecile. you fucking moron'"
- dril
- dril
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While Venus in Furs (whose author's name is derived into the word "masochism") is now one of my favorite novels, this one was very much a disappointment. I followed at first, but after a while, I found it hard to believe one person could endure this much misfortune. I was starting to get back into it at the end, but at that, it seemed like the author suddenly denounced everything he had formerly led up.
With the benefit of a few centuries of hindsight, you wonder how much of this was De Sade's perverse imagination and how much was him spilling the beans about what really went on in society. The bit with the monks in particular seems strangely credible.
That was a WILD ride and I honestly don't "recommend" this to anybody. Highly vulgar, EXTREMELY explicit in nature. And I really do mean explicit. This was one of the first novels of the "sadist" nature and boy, oh boy, it's no wonder de Sade was arrested for it in his time. I can't even give it a rating, really--it transcends "good" or "bad." The heaviest most violently sarcastic work against chastity and virtue I've ever seen in my life.
Yikes.
Yikes.