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2.61 AVERAGE
2.61 AVERAGE
I respect that this is one of the og disturbing novels and (in)arguably the most disturbing novel ever written. However, knowing the plot, I'm not putting myself through 400 pages of progressively more gross details.
I know it's in the title but having read ABOUT this book without having read it yet, I know all the mentioning of buttholes was only leading to more disgusting details. I'm morbidly curious when it comes to evils and violence of humankind but I do get grossed out so I believe I'll pass on this one.
I know it's in the title but having read ABOUT this book without having read it yet, I know all the mentioning of buttholes was only leading to more disgusting details. I'm morbidly curious when it comes to evils and violence of humankind but I do get grossed out so I believe I'll pass on this one.
I am now repelled by sex, literature, and any attempt to combine the two. Congratulations, Sade. You did it.
When I first started this book for my class (because God knows I never would have sought this out on my own), I kept having these weird, low-key stomach aches that made me feel a little sick. I thought at first it was because I was hungry or something so I started eating better, but the stomach aches remained. Funnily enough, they only happened during or after I had done my reading for this book, so my conclusion is that this book made me subconsciously sick to my stomach in a way that I was unaware of for multiple days. Or maybe I'm just stupid and didn't make the obvious connection until much later.
If I were to offer any legitimate critique not rooted in personal distaste, I would say that this book's problems are mostly due to the fact of its length. Even though it's not technically complete (the last three parts are simply lists of things Sade wants to happen), the book as it stands is still way too long what it wants to accomplish and what it actually ends up being. Sade's point is obvious: that people in power are often able to abuse that power and get away with horrible atrocities. That much was obvious within in the first ten pages. But that's the ONLY thing Sade has to say. Never is another point made in this book. In fact, the main point is hardly focused on and Sade mostly lets the actions speak for themselves. Which is a totally legitimate way of storytelling. However, Sade could have easily made this book about 100 pages, made this point, and still had all the freaky sex stuff and not really have lost anything. One does not need every single detail of every single degrading sexual exploit. Unless they're into that stuff I guess.
I also think something that draws away from Sade's supposed message is the focus on the four Libertines and their depravity and less focus on their victims. Had I seen more of the suffering of the people being exploited by these men, I think the message would have come off stronger. Of course, the horrors of what they're doing do speak for themselves at point, but it's so gratuitous that it would have served the story better had Sade created some actual characters in these exploited people.
Besides what I mentioned above, I think something else that could have possibly saved this novel or at least made it a bit more bearable in my opinion would be simple hedonism. It might have been easier to swallow for me if the victims were just as into it as the Libertines. This would of course change the novel completely, but as I did not like the novel I don't really care about that.
Anyway this book was really bad and I hated it the end.
When I first started this book for my class (because God knows I never would have sought this out on my own), I kept having these weird, low-key stomach aches that made me feel a little sick. I thought at first it was because I was hungry or something so I started eating better, but the stomach aches remained. Funnily enough, they only happened during or after I had done my reading for this book, so my conclusion is that this book made me subconsciously sick to my stomach in a way that I was unaware of for multiple days. Or maybe I'm just stupid and didn't make the obvious connection until much later.
If I were to offer any legitimate critique not rooted in personal distaste, I would say that this book's problems are mostly due to the fact of its length. Even though it's not technically complete (the last three parts are simply lists of things Sade wants to happen), the book as it stands is still way too long what it wants to accomplish and what it actually ends up being. Sade's point is obvious: that people in power are often able to abuse that power and get away with horrible atrocities. That much was obvious within in the first ten pages. But that's the ONLY thing Sade has to say. Never is another point made in this book. In fact, the main point is hardly focused on and Sade mostly lets the actions speak for themselves. Which is a totally legitimate way of storytelling. However, Sade could have easily made this book about 100 pages, made this point, and still had all the freaky sex stuff and not really have lost anything. One does not need every single detail of every single degrading sexual exploit. Unless they're into that stuff I guess.
I also think something that draws away from Sade's supposed message is the focus on the four Libertines and their depravity and less focus on their victims. Had I seen more of the suffering of the people being exploited by these men, I think the message would have come off stronger. Of course, the horrors of what they're doing do speak for themselves at point, but it's so gratuitous that it would have served the story better had Sade created some actual characters in these exploited people.
Besides what I mentioned above, I think something else that could have possibly saved this novel or at least made it a bit more bearable in my opinion would be simple hedonism. It might have been easier to swallow for me if the victims were just as into it as the Libertines. This would of course change the novel completely, but as I did not like the novel I don't really care about that.
Anyway this book was really bad and I hated it the end.
Underrated classic. It's too bad that it's only a draft and he never got to finish the whole thing. Despite this, it's interesting to see it at this stage of writing. I would have liked to see more detail in the last three parts. Based on the other reviews of this book, I can see that even today Marquis de Sade continues to shock and piss off the weaklings who can't handle his philosophy, by disrespecting and tearing apart all of their strongest core beliefs.
Sade was clearly a man of taste. My friend and I fucked while listening to this book and came away jizzing out of laughter and not out of the profound erotic quality this book undoubtedly possesses. From this day on, I will have to remind myself to be happy, if not for any other reason but the fact that this book survived all the hardships. Vive le libertin.
Sade, my friend, you need help.
(some parts of this review will be kinda graphic)
This book is full of pedophelia, incest, rape, mysogyny ✨ 18th century style ✨, literal shit (forcing people to shit, forcing people to eat shit, eating your own shit out of someone else's mouth, etc. you get the idea), kidnapping, brutal torturing, a lot of (dare I say creative) murders and I could go on and on.
When I started reading it, I thought it was a metaphor for the French society in the year of 1785 when this book was written. After continuing to read and investigating Sade and his life a bit more, I realised, NO, actually it's some rich bastard praising the society for making him the ✨ sadist ✨ he is. Praising the society for letting him do all these repulsive crimes because, fuck you, he's rich.
Not to suck Sade's dick too much, but, on the other hand, it's written kinda masterfully. It's funny, it's well planned out, it makes the characters feel alive, and what is the worst, it gives you the creepy feeling you're there and you're letting these crimes happen. You're not just an innocent bystander, you're involved. It makes you think (probably what was Marquis' intention) what makes a person evil and why do we as a society make some people so powerful that they can treat all the poorer people like they own them. Why do we as a society value someone's life over another?
It also gave me an insight into the mind of an extremly abusive person, into the mind of a sadist™ if you will. And it's some messed up shit I saw there.
At the end of the day, I'm happy I read the book. But I'm even happier I can now return it back to the library and never see again.
P.S. One more thing, dear Sade, my brother in Christ. I don't exactly know how much basic biology you learned in school back then, but you can't exactly:
• impregnate a cow, and later fuck the child that cow has birthed you.
• melt someone's fat away by keeping them next to the fire for too long.
• keep someone alive while you cut their heart out, cum in the whole the heart was in, put the heart back into that person, stich them up, AND ONLY THEN SLOWLY KILL THEM.
(some parts of this review will be kinda graphic)
This book is full of pedophelia, incest, rape, mysogyny ✨ 18th century style ✨, literal shit (forcing people to shit, forcing people to eat shit, eating your own shit out of someone else's mouth, etc. you get the idea), kidnapping, brutal torturing, a lot of (dare I say creative) murders and I could go on and on.
When I started reading it, I thought it was a metaphor for the French society in the year of 1785 when this book was written. After continuing to read and investigating Sade and his life a bit more, I realised, NO, actually it's some rich bastard praising the society for making him the ✨ sadist ✨ he is. Praising the society for letting him do all these repulsive crimes because, fuck you, he's rich.
Not to suck Sade's dick too much, but, on the other hand, it's written kinda masterfully. It's funny, it's well planned out, it makes the characters feel alive, and what is the worst, it gives you the creepy feeling you're there and you're letting these crimes happen. You're not just an innocent bystander, you're involved. It makes you think (probably what was Marquis' intention) what makes a person evil and why do we as a society make some people so powerful that they can treat all the poorer people like they own them. Why do we as a society value someone's life over another?
It also gave me an insight into the mind of an extremly abusive person, into the mind of a sadist™ if you will. And it's some messed up shit I saw there.
At the end of the day, I'm happy I read the book. But I'm even happier I can now return it back to the library and never see again.
P.S. One more thing, dear Sade, my brother in Christ. I don't exactly know how much basic biology you learned in school back then, but you can't exactly:
• impregnate a cow, and later fuck the child that cow has birthed you.
• melt someone's fat away by keeping them next to the fire for too long.
• keep someone alive while you cut their heart out, cum in the whole the heart was in, put the heart back into that person, stich them up, AND ONLY THEN SLOWLY KILL THEM.
Extraordinarily compelling. . . the Marquis de Sade was truly a seductive writer, as evidenced by the number of mixed reviews already given to this book. So how do you rate a book that is one of the all-time masterpieces of dark literature and also the sickest, most revolting, unclean novel you will likely ever encounter? I did not finish the entire work, nor do I ever intend to. It becomes progressively worse and I have little desire to find out what transpires in the last 2/5 of this horror.
By the way, to those who wonder, yes, sadly, some of the events related (though by no means all) are based on true events in the life of de Sade.
By the way, to those who wonder, yes, sadly, some of the events related (though by no means all) are based on true events in the life of de Sade.
My principal problem with this book is that it is highly unoriginal. It is really just the fantasies of one man, mainly about butt and excrement, without any real story, character development or idea behind it. Few years ago, I read philosophy in the bedroom and just loved it! The libertine philosophy that Sade develops in it is just fascinating, amusing and more well thought. I did not see anything like that in Sodom, in fact, any idea developed seems to me as shallow, more like childish justifications that the marquis seemed to need for writing such a boring book that is no more than a jailed man fantasies. I guess he really needed to pass time somehow.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mon opinion sur ce livre, et probablement le reste de l'oeuvre du Marquis, est dans ses grandes lignes la même que celle de la "Justine": malgré le fait que je peux m'envisager en recommander la lecture, je n'en supporte pas ses propos pour autant.
Le récit n'est pas particulièrement bon, mais sa lecture est intéressante. C'est un récit sale, dans le sens qu'il y'a plusieurs scènes qui font des usages différents du déguelasse. Mon but n'est pas de juger ceux qui en font usage, toute fois. En comparaison à la "Justine", le premier volume de chez 10/18 (version 1975) démontre moins de supplices poussés, mais beaucoup d'usages variés de cruauté envers la femme, de pédophilie, de gaz, et de coprophilie sous plusieurs niveau.
Je dois toutefois avertir la personne qui aurait lue "Justine" autant celui qui ne l'aurait point fait. Les "120 jours de Sodome" n'ont jamais été complété, le manuscrit a été partiellement écrit et puis séparé du Marquis. Le projet initial du marquis était divisé en quatre séquences de trente jours et avait pour but d'être le plus haut point de sa carrière d'écrivain. Son Magnum Opus, si vous voulez. La valeur du récit est moins présente que celui de la Justine, elle est remplacé par une grande quantité d'exemples d'actes en accord avec le libertinage sadien. Malheureusement, le second volume de cette édition souffre du même sort que tous ceux de ma connaissance : le récit est incomplet. Après le premier quart des "120 jours", nous avons seulement des notes et des bribes de récits à gauche et à droite.
Heureusement, nous avons tout de même des lignes directrices pour imaginer les scènes dans nos têtes. Le premier volume était très intéressant, cela étant dit, et j'ai hâte de compléter le second.
Le récit n'est pas particulièrement bon, mais sa lecture est intéressante. C'est un récit sale, dans le sens qu'il y'a plusieurs scènes qui font des usages différents du déguelasse. Mon but n'est pas de juger ceux qui en font usage, toute fois. En comparaison à la "Justine", le premier volume de chez 10/18 (version 1975) démontre moins de supplices poussés, mais beaucoup d'usages variés de cruauté envers la femme, de pédophilie, de gaz, et de coprophilie sous plusieurs niveau.
Je dois toutefois avertir la personne qui aurait lue "Justine" autant celui qui ne l'aurait point fait. Les "120 jours de Sodome" n'ont jamais été complété, le manuscrit a été partiellement écrit et puis séparé du Marquis. Le projet initial du marquis était divisé en quatre séquences de trente jours et avait pour but d'être le plus haut point de sa carrière d'écrivain. Son Magnum Opus, si vous voulez. La valeur du récit est moins présente que celui de la Justine, elle est remplacé par une grande quantité d'exemples d'actes en accord avec le libertinage sadien. Malheureusement, le second volume de cette édition souffre du même sort que tous ceux de ma connaissance : le récit est incomplet. Après le premier quart des "120 jours", nous avons seulement des notes et des bribes de récits à gauche et à droite.
Heureusement, nous avons tout de même des lignes directrices pour imaginer les scènes dans nos têtes. Le premier volume était très intéressant, cela étant dit, et j'ai hâte de compléter le second.
ew lol
A testament to humanity I suppose, feels less like a crowning achievement and more like a defining one.
A testament to humanity I suppose, feels less like a crowning achievement and more like a defining one.