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A review by mirandaaaa
Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue by Marquis de Sade
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
3.75
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.