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3.08 AVERAGE
3.08 AVERAGE
Three stars for how interesting the philosophy and moralism is for the time, but TRIPLE accidental incest in one short story? Good lord. The writing itself isn’t anything incredible, but it’s definitely an entertaining read overall.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This collection of short stories is my first experience of reading Sade, and it is somewhat what I expected. There are 2/3 longer stories that are more philosophical/religious in nature and are concerned with sex in relation to morals, and the other stories are shorter and almost have the function of a limerick or a long form joke. The language was a bit archaic at times, and so it took a lot of concentration and made it slightly more obtuse to read. On the whole I think this is a good intro to Sade, however I don't think it's really my cup of tea.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
I’m entirely at fault for taking this book entirely at cover value (and for not remembering sooner who Marquis de Sade is) because heavens, what a misleadingly titled book this turned out to be!
Maybe I’m wrong, but from what I understand, what makes gothic fiction is largely its atmosphere which has a prevailing mystery and terror, the setting and elements of the paranormal and supernatural. I had expected a book with such characteristics, only to be utterly blindsided by ‘ Eugenie de Franval ‘, the first short story which prominently features incest, paedophilia and toxic relationships.
Suffice it to say, this set the tone for the rest of the collection which also includes scenes of rape, kidnapping, gaslighting, adultery and more. So, rather than a collection of gothic tales, I think it would be more apt to describe this as a collection of red flags and trigger warnings masquerading as questionably “humorous” or didactic short stories. Or, to put it in kinder words, a collection of fictional works that’s the 2020s dark romance of the 1800s/mostly sadistic erotica but written in the way one would write impassioned philosophical contemplations between virtue and vice, piety and depravity.
Nevertheless, I could objectively appreciate the gorgeous writing and philosophical aspects of Gothic Tales. Marquis de Sade had a beautiful way with words and his critique of the society in his day gave much food for thought. For me, ‘ Florville and Courval ‘ best displayed these aspects, plus it had an emotional impact the other pieces in this collection severely lacked.
This collection includes all the following titles:
– ‘ Eugenie de Franval ‘
– ‘ The Horse-Chestnut Flower ‘
– ‘ The Chastised Husband ‘
– ‘ Florville and Courval ‘
– ‘ The Husband who Played Priest ‘
– ‘ Emilie de Tourville ‘
– ‘ Room for Two ‘
– ‘ The Self-Made Cuckold ‘
I’m entirely at fault for taking this book entirely at cover value (and for not remembering sooner who Marquis de Sade is) because heavens, what a misleadingly titled book this turned out to be!
Maybe I’m wrong, but from what I understand, what makes gothic fiction is largely its atmosphere which has a prevailing mystery and terror, the setting and elements of the paranormal and supernatural. I had expected a book with such characteristics, only to be utterly blindsided by ‘ Eugenie de Franval ‘, the first short story which prominently features incest, paedophilia and toxic relationships.
Suffice it to say, this set the tone for the rest of the collection which also includes scenes of rape, kidnapping, gaslighting, adultery and more. So, rather than a collection of gothic tales, I think it would be more apt to describe this as a collection of red flags and trigger warnings masquerading as questionably “humorous” or didactic short stories. Or, to put it in kinder words, a collection of fictional works that’s the 2020s dark romance of the 1800s/mostly sadistic erotica but written in the way one would write impassioned philosophical contemplations between virtue and vice, piety and depravity.
Nevertheless, I could objectively appreciate the gorgeous writing and philosophical aspects of Gothic Tales. Marquis de Sade had a beautiful way with words and his critique of the society in his day gave much food for thought. For me, ‘ Florville and Courval ‘ best displayed these aspects, plus it had an emotional impact the other pieces in this collection severely lacked.
This collection includes all the following titles:
– ‘ Eugenie de Franval ‘
– ‘ The Horse-Chestnut Flower ‘
– ‘ The Chastised Husband ‘
– ‘ Florville and Courval ‘
– ‘ The Husband who Played Priest ‘
– ‘ Emilie de Tourville ‘
– ‘ Room for Two ‘
– ‘ The Self-Made Cuckold ‘
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review! Gothic Tales by Marquis de Sade will be available at all good bookstores.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence
Minor: Confinement, Death, Self harm, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment
"Habit modifies it, conscience for us is like pliable wax which assumes all shapes in our hands; if this book were as infallible as you say, would man not have an unvarying conscience?"
Honestly, the introduction is probably my favorite part of the book. I do feel like Marquis de Sade's stories are simply not for me, even though I understand his exploration of libertine philosophies and the implications of sadism as a concept.
That being said, this anthology is much more accessible and almost like a bedtime story compared to 120 Days of Sodom. I feel that if there's a Marquis de Sade book to read just to get the essence of the themes and ideas he espouses, this one is best to start off with since it's not very gratuitous (and I still wouldn't recommend it if you overall hate degeneracy no matter what, check out the trigger warnings).
Eugenie de Franval and The Horse-Chestnut Flower stuck with me the most, the rest are a little boring. Thank you Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions are my own.
Honestly, the introduction is probably my favorite part of the book. I do feel like Marquis de Sade's stories are simply not for me, even though I understand his exploration of libertine philosophies and the implications of sadism as a concept.
That being said, this anthology is much more accessible and almost like a bedtime story compared to 120 Days of Sodom. I feel that if there's a Marquis de Sade book to read just to get the essence of the themes and ideas he espouses, this one is best to start off with since it's not very gratuitous (and I still wouldn't recommend it if you overall hate degeneracy no matter what, check out the trigger warnings).
Eugenie de Franval and The Horse-Chestnut Flower stuck with me the most, the rest are a little boring. Thank you Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions are my own.
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into this book, expecting to be scandalized by the infamous Marquis de Sade. Now, having read it, I have to say that the writing is much more modest than anticipated—although, I suppose in the Georgian times it was decidedly scandalous. That is not to say that it doesn't hit on many illegal and/or taboo topics, because it does. If you read this one, just go in with an open mind and realistic expectations.
Good writing. Interesting stories. Some serious moments and some humorous moments. I found the horse chestnut story to be particularly delightful.
I do need to mention that this is a bit of a challenging read, as is most writing of that time. So, expect a slow pace and many long, convoluted sentences (although I did find that the shorter stories read better than the longer ones).
A strange, but fun read.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC.
I've always been curious about the Marquis de Sade's writings, what with his notorious reputation. And while this isn't his most well known works, the collection was a lot more tame overall. As much as stories about infidelity and incest can be. The first one was easily the most disturbed, if only because it was the longest story, so it spent more time detailing the process of Franvall grooming his daughter, manipulating his wife, and mostly getting away with it. The rest of the stories fell between tragic stories of fatal coincidences, and very short erotic comedies. It was not what I was expecting.
I've always been curious about the Marquis de Sade's writings, what with his notorious reputation. And while this isn't his most well known works, the collection was a lot more tame overall. As much as stories about infidelity and incest can be. The first one was easily the most disturbed, if only because it was the longest story, so it spent more time detailing the process of Franvall grooming his daughter, manipulating his wife, and mostly getting away with it. The rest of the stories fell between tragic stories of fatal coincidences, and very short erotic comedies. It was not what I was expecting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced