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Dangerous Liaisons

by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Helen Constantine (Translator)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 14,390 ratings · 460 reviews

A new translation of one of the most notorious novels of all time

Published just years before the French Revolution, Laclos's great novel of moral and emotional depravity is a disturbing and ultimately damning portrayal of a decadent society. Aristocrats and ex-lovers Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont embark on a sophisticated game of seduction and manipulation t...more

Paperback, 404 pages

Published October 30th 2007 by Penguin Classics (first published 1782)

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Mar 28, 2013 Manny rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, well-i-think-its-funny, parody-homage, story-review, older-men-younger-women, pooh-dante

Letter 94. Viscomte de Rayner to the Goodreads Community

This morning, I thought of M. de Laclos's charming novel for the first time in years, when an interfering busybody saw fit to edit my Quiz question about it. I was forced to spend an hour checking the text, so that I could thoroughly refute her misconceptions about Cécile's role in the story, and I trust I shall hear no more from the vile creature. But, none the less, I am grateful to her, since she reminded me that I should read it in the...more

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Sep 19, 2007 Tessa Concepcion rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

I'm amazed, these two principal characters that are the very incarnations of malice have incredibly salient and correct anecdotes about love and the beauty of sex considering they use it to humiliate others. While the woman (Merteuil) is an expert in deciphering and deconstructing human emotions and its repercussions, Valmont is a virtuoso of reading human reactions even in the slightest form of subtle and heavily-attempted hidden gestures; which enables him to translate it to the emotions of hi...more I'm amazed, these two principal characters that are the very incarnations of malice have incredibly salient and correct anecdotes about love and the beauty of sex considering they use it to humiliate others. While the woman (Merteuil) is an expert in deciphering and deconstructing human emotions and its repercussions, Valmont is a virtuoso of reading human reactions even in the slightest form of subtle and heavily-attempted hidden gestures; which enables him to translate it to the emotions of his hapless victims thereby making him a virtual mind reader that aids him to know what should be his next move. As incrementally subtle and as enormously persuasive he is in the arts of rhetorics and inconspiciously obsequious seductions, he invariably wins their confidence until he met his match in Madame de Tourvel who possesses all the qualities he lacks (virtue) but is most sought after of, for which he will use it to keep her conscious of how depraved her submissions to Valmont are but will still leave her unchecked that she still wouldn't be able to stop herself.

Apart from this, Choderlos' work is a reflection of how abusive and oppressive the French aristocracy was, with notable real life examples as Marquis de Sade and the Earl of Rochester. This also gave us a look of how the French monarchy was gradually declining in popularity until such reasons, with the latter as the catalyst, helped in fuelling the revolution.

Read it. And anyone else who would who love to see the insights of love and relationships, politics and pragmatism would be very interested to know how we could understand that even the slightest mistakes we so avoid in accomplishing our tasks will only add to the beauty of completing them. Knowing that in life, two factors that are of striking contrast will only enhance the candor and realistic nature of actions, whether in human nature or in words of love, when one professes it to someone personally that incoherency of words will only add to its coherence.

Thank you for your time. Salamat po!(less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Sketchbook rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Only a country like France, which takes sex seriously with a smile, as
Britain does snobbery with a snoot, could produce this ironic
novel. (Laclos withdrew following his unsettling classic of sexual manners, 1782). Valmont-Merteuil reign high on my list of literary favs. Overbred, overindulged, the ex-lovers become sexual conspirators after tossing other partners. Sex for them is an intrigue of shared espionage.

Urbane, amusing, they strike a cynical assault on society.
The psychological rewards ar...more

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Jan 23, 2013 [P] rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Prologue
[Yes, my reviews have prologues now]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVH_eY...

The Review

I tried my hand at being a cad once. I had always been someone who was more interested in the loftier pursuits, but at about 19 I discovered women. Of course I had dabbled in the past, but it was around that time that I decided that I would see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately my influences were [mostly] French decadents, and people like the Earl of Rochester, Beau Brummell, Serge Gainsb...more The Prologue
[Yes, my reviews have prologues now]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVH_eY...

The Review

I tried my hand at being a cad once. I had always been someone who was more interested in the loftier pursuits, but at about 19 I discovered women. Of course I had dabbled in the past, but it was around that time that I decided that I would see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately my influences were [mostly] French decadents, and people like the Earl of Rochester, Beau Brummell, Serge Gainsbourg etc, and so my aim evolved into one of seeing just how much I could get away with, just how far I could take it. I would set myself goals, like ‘how many girlfriends can I manage at one time?’ [If this ever comes up on a pub quiz the answer is: 3], and so on [I’ll spare you the more salacious stuff]. I even gave this game a name: Sexual Bingo. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that this is an admirable way to spend one’s time, but it illustrates, firstly, just how impressionable young people are in terms of being influenced by the things that interest them, and, secondly, how alluring doing the wrong thing, being a bit naughty, can be. All of which brings me to Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which is, pretty much, the bounder’s bible.

Thanks to Cruel Intentions, and Glen Close and John Malkovich, amongst others, most people are aware already of what this book entails in terms of plot. In short: two people, a man [Vicomte de Valmont] and a woman [Marquise de Merteuil], make a wager which involves the man having to seduce [or failing that, take by force] a young married woman of their acquaintance. If he succeeds the man will be allowed access to the genital-dungeons of the woman with whom he made the wager. I’ve already nailed my colours to the mast, so you know that I find all these devilish machinations massively entertaining, but Les Liaisons Dangereuses is still, even now, likely to offend some people [Valmont rapes a young girl at one point, if my memory is correct]. You cannot, however, claim to not know what you’re getting yourself into when you pick up the book.

Bearing in mind how ubiquitous this novel, and its characters and plot, is, is there anything interesting one can say about it in a review? Perhaps. What struck me as most interesting is the subtle distinction in terms of what happens to, and the eventual attitudes of, the two main characters. Merteuil, it seemed to me, was entirely motivated by her desire for amusement; she is doing this purely for kicks; her punishment is facial disfigurement. Valmont, however, appears to fall in love with the married woman he sets out to seduce; his life ends tragically too, but, as a result of a duel, he at least dies honourably. So, are women capable of greater, dispassionate, cruelty than men? I have no idea, but it is what this book seems to suggest.(less)

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Apr 19, 2011 K.D. Oliveros rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to K.D. by: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006-2010)

Shelves: 1001-core, classics

When you rate a book, do you consider the introduction (written by a different person), appendices, blurbs and entries in Wikipedia? I mean do you consider the historical background of the story? the life story of the author? it's impact to whatever since its first publication?

Or you ignore all of them and just rate the story as if you do not know anything about those?

Two schools of thought. I know some people just read and then rate the story only. I know some who read not only the whole book...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) marked it as did-not-finish · review of another edition

Recommended to Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) by: Sarah

Shelves: 18th-century-lit, epistolary-novel, recommended-to-me

DNF. Not because it was bad, but because I didn't feel I was getting anything "extra" out of it that the 1988 movie didn't show. It's an amazingly faithful adaptation and I'm content with leaving it at that.

Valmont's and de Tourvel's letters to each other were pretty dull, however. The same thing over and over. Her breaking down is so incremental that I could barely see it. The Valmont/de Merteuil correspondence was much more consistently interesting - except the Prevan digressions. Probably if...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Amandine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 18e-siècle

Ma révélation, « mon » chef-d’œuvre, mon trésor, l’œuvre qui m’a marquée à tout jamais et dont aucune autre n’a pu prendre la place dans mon estime littéraire. Chaque lecture est pour moi une nouvelle découverte, un nouvel enchantement, et suscite une admiration toujours grandissante de ma part. Même en connaissant chaque détail de l’intrigue et de son déroulement, c’est toujours un véritable plaisir de relire cette œuvre. Je considère ce roman comme le meilleur roman épistolaire que j’aie lu, e...more Ma révélation, « mon » chef-d’œuvre, mon trésor, l’œuvre qui m’a marquée à tout jamais et dont aucune autre n’a pu prendre la place dans mon estime littéraire. Chaque lecture est pour moi une nouvelle découverte, un nouvel enchantement, et suscite une admiration toujours grandissante de ma part. Même en connaissant chaque détail de l’intrigue et de son déroulement, c’est toujours un véritable plaisir de relire cette œuvre. Je considère ce roman comme le meilleur roman épistolaire que j’aie lu, et certainement le meilleur de la littérature française : Laclos joue extrêmement habilement des possibilités de ce genre et les exploite toutes au mieux et au meilleur moment. Un même évènement, raconté par différents personnages ou par un même personnage à différents destinataires, prend un sens tout à fait différent selon les lettres, ce qui dévoile très bien la psychologie de chacun. Ces lettres ne sont pas seulement lues par leurs destinataires, mais interceptées ou volées par d’autres : elles ne se contentent donc pas d’être des récits des évènements, mais participent de ceux-ci et en sont le moteur. Cette fonction les rend plus vraisemblables, de même que le style particulier à chaque personnage lorsqu’il écrit : on peut reconnaître le destinateur, et même le destinataire pour certaines, de chaque missive, rien qu’avec le ton et la façon de la rédiger. Cécile de Volanges a un style enfantin, qui ne sait pas mentir et dit tout ce qu’elle pense, peu importe à qui elle écrit, ce qui lui est souvent reproché. Il en est de même de Danceny, bien que, plus habitué à la société, il feigne mieux que sa jeune amante. La Présidente de Tourvel respecte les convenances, mais n’est guère de taille face à un libertin comme Valmont. Les lettres de celui-ci à la présidente sont d’ailleurs de véritables chefs-d’œuvre par les nombreux doubles sens qu’on y trouve et dont la lettre écrite sur le dos de la prostituée Emilie est un parfait exemple : il ne ment jamais véritablement, mais sait jouer du langage et de ses ambigüités. Ses échanges avec la marquise de Merteuil sont plus sincères, par leurs confidences et projets réciproques. Enfin, que dire du style de la Marquise ? C’est sans doute celle qui maîtrise le mieux l’art épistolaire et qui connaît le mieux l’âme humaine. Même si elle montre un peu de faiblesse et de jalousie dans la 4e partie, elle observe tout et est comme la marionnettiste qui tient les ficelles et décide du déroulement du jeu. Certains ont pu trouver des lenteurs à ce jeu, mais c’est justement parce que le roman suit le rythme des personnages : au début, Valmont s’amuse de son nouveau projet et des « lenteurs », Danceny et Cécile découvrent l’amour et s’arrêtent à chaque pas pour jouir de ce sentiment nouveau pour eux ; par la suite, les choses s’accélèrent jusqu’à dégénérer à la fin (cf. les « faiblesses » de la marquise et les emportements de Valmont) : les deux jeunes amants ont été séparés et ne brûlent que de se retrouver au plus vite, tandis que le libertin se lasse de sa lente séduction et souhaite se venger de la fuite de sa Belle. Personnellement, je considère cela comme un vrai coup de maître de la part de Laclos : comme dans la guerre qu’il a pratiqué, après le temps de la stratégie, vient celui de la bataille (et des morts). A propos de la fin, je la trouve particulièrement réussie par la diversité des sorts des personnages et par son aspect nuancé : ce n’est clairement pas une fin manichéenne avec les gentils vainqueurs et les méchants punis. Personne n’est gagnant et tous ont été atteints d’une manière ou d’une autre.
Bref, un véritable chef-d’œuvre qui fut et reste ma « révélation » littéraire.

http://www.passion-bouquins.com/les-l...(less)

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Jan 12, 2008 Leena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

I wonder, if I had read this book when I was 21 instead of 31, would I have saved myself a good deal of grief concerning relationships? This book masterfully exposes every kind of grief there is. But, I think that like the innocent characters in the book, I wouldn't have understood it at the time.

When attempting to navigate love, one always messes up somewhere. Some of us stomp around like... a yeti, lol. While others are deft and cruel. Toss both these sorts of people together into a restricti...more

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Mar 24, 2007 Mikey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: fiction

Aside from the fact that Les Liaisons Dangereuses has a tight, efficient plot and well-constructed characters, what's most impressive about it is how well it works as an actual epistolary novel. Instead of Clarissa writing for 18 hours a day, what we have hear are short (1-2 pages, sometimes less) letters, of the length that people might actually write to one another, and multiple correspondences, in order to keep the story fresh and told from multiple perspectives. In addition, the letters beco...more

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Jun 13, 2012 MJ Nicholls marked it as seduced-and-abandoned · review of another edition

If I were the sort of boner who ran a creative writing night class I might level that grievous accusation at this Gallic favourite—how it “tells” everything and doesn’t “show.” And if you were a frightfully witty sort, you may reply: “Duh. It’s written in letters.” And such a Daria-strength comeback would be entirely appropriate: this is an epistolary novel where effusive aristocrats compose long-winded letters about their schemes and feelings and dire circumstances, with little for the reader t...more

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Jun 11, 2007 Barbara Domue rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i just finished this book last night. i laughed out loud so many times on the subway that people must think i'm crazy. it is so slimy, and paints such a grotesque picture of this time, and all in the language of jane austen. there is this formality that is so funny because of the horrible content of the letters in this book. i am on my way to watch the movie as soon as i can.

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May 12, 2011 MAP rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, fiction

I bought this for my Kindle after having seen the movie. I have to say, as much as I loved the movie, it's amazing how much is lost without the epistolary element; the way Laclos juxtaposes things -- Valmont's manipulative letters to Danceny's ardent ones, Merteuil's accusations against Prevan to what Valmont actually does to Cecile -- is something that one misses when the letters are taken out of the mix. If there is one flaw to the book it is the heavy handed way in which Valmont finally achie...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Charly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Classics fans

This is an "interesting" work crafted through a series of letters between and amongst a group of people who seem to have at best a vague distinction between love and sex, love and conquest, love and sex and victory. When everyone seems to be out for their own satisfaction and are wont to use anyone on the way both offenders and innocents it gets a bit stale when the same purposes tend to use up character after character. I think this would have been far more entertaining in the hands of Moliere...more

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Apr 21, 2008 Nibelheim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classiques

Ce livre de Choderlos de Laclos est devenu un grand nom de la littéraire française et a eu une postérité très riche : influences diverses, adaptations filmées, pièces de théâtre, … Etrange destin que celui de cette œuvre littéraire, considérée comme le chef d’œuvre de son auteur en dépit de ses autres écrits qui, eux, n’ont pas du tout marqué l’histoire littéraire.

J’avais découvert Les liaisons dangereuses - et par la même occasion l’adaptation filmée de Stephen Frears, que je vous recommande -...more Ce livre de Choderlos de Laclos est devenu un grand nom de la littéraire française et a eu une postérité très riche : influences diverses, adaptations filmées, pièces de théâtre, … Etrange destin que celui de cette œuvre littéraire, considérée comme le chef d’œuvre de son auteur en dépit de ses autres écrits qui, eux, n’ont pas du tout marqué l’histoire littéraire.

J’avais découvert Les liaisons dangereuses - et par la même occasion l’adaptation filmée de Stephen Frears, que je vous recommande - en classe de première, lors de l’étude du genre épistolaire. Le livre m’avait plu, mais j’y avais trouvé certaines lourdeurs, certaines longueurs. C’est un avis que je réfute aujourd’hui, à présent que cette deuxième lecture est achevée. Ce roman m’est apparu dans toute sa richesse avec sa diversité d’écritures, sa structure complexe, ses personnages charismatiques. Ce qui m’a particulièrement impressionnée chez Laclos est l’écriture : chaque personnage écrit à sa façon, et chaque écriture reflète le personnage. La marquise de Merteuil garde tout au long du roman son style froid et cynique, dans des lettres émaillées de phrases assassines et de pointes habilement formulées, et cela même quand elle prend de l’humour tandis que Valmont, plus impulsif et orgueilleux, est bien plus prompt à s’échauffer. Cécile a une écriture proprement enfantine particulièrement agaçante, reflet de son ingénuité. La présidente de Tourvel enfin, personnage qui semble tout droit sorti d’un livre de Rousseau, a un style humble et plus passionné.

Ce livre, bien que datant du XVIIIème siècle, demeure tout à fait actuel : encore aujourd’hui, il garde un certain parfum de scandale, que ce soit dans la manipulation d’innocentes créatures par des libertins, ou par l’exemple d’émancipation féminine que représente le personnage de la Marquise. On me dira ce qu’on voudra mais je continue à croire que même aujourd’hui, ce roman va très loin, dans le libertinage comme dans la perversité. Et, dans cette société où l’on se prétend de plus en plus libre et détaché d’une morale austère, beaucoup n’accepteraient pas les principes mis en avant par les personnages.

Le constat des Liaisons dangereuses semble finalement très pessimiste. Les “méchants” sont punis par la mort, le déshonneur, mais qu’en est-il des “victimes” ? Fuite, entrée en religion, agonies, les innocentes créatures se retrouvent toutes perdues d’avoir seulement approché les deux “monstres”. Morale a priori sévère et pourtant ambigüe : le constat des vices et des dangers du monde ne peut se faire qu’après coup, et la raison ne sert ici qu’aux regrets. La lecture de ce recueil de lettres est absolument jouissive tandis que l’on suit les échanges entre la Merteuil et Valmont ainsi que leurs conquêtes, leurs stratégies, leurs réciproques provocations. Les personnages qui se sont perdus perdent peu à peu la parole à leur tour et les scripteurs qui offrent leurs mots pour clore ce roman sont d’une autre nature : place est laissée aux discours moraux et aux lamentations des personnages directement liés aux victimes.

Libertinage, scènes où plane un certain érotisme, jeux de pouvoirs, manipulations, ce recueil, quelque peu sulfureux mais jamais vulgaire, est une œuvre subtile et riche ; l’ordre même des lettres semble avoir été réfléchi, mettant en valeur les disparités de ton et de style entre les personnages. Il joue également avec les points de vue et nous présente, comme par jeu, le même évènement vécu et/ou analysé par plusieurs personnes, créant une connivence avec le lecteur. Ainsi, ce livre représente pour moi un véritable coup de cœur et garde une place de choix parmi mes œuvres favorites.(less)

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Dec 03, 2007 Mariel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: purgatorial sofas

Recommended to Mariel by: it was beyond my control

I love Les Liaisons dangereuses. I kind of hate it too. I hate it in that way you feel when you can't help but place yourself in the story. What would I have done? It isn't something that I like about myself that I would avoid love situations in case it was a cruel trap. To put oneself at risk like that is terrifying. What if the past hunts you down? Or just sits in the room with you like my dog's stinky ass gas (seriously, puppy, stop farting). I was moved by the fear of letting the Merteuils a...more I love Les Liaisons dangereuses. I kind of hate it too. I hate it in that way you feel when you can't help but place yourself in the story. What would I have done? It isn't something that I like about myself that I would avoid love situations in case it was a cruel trap. To put oneself at risk like that is terrifying. What if the past hunts you down? Or just sits in the room with you like my dog's stinky ass gas (seriously, puppy, stop farting). I was moved by the fear of letting the Merteuils and the Valmonts win. Breaking your own heart stuff.
My twin said that the ending sucks because every character is cruelly punished a la Henry James edicts from heaven. I don't know. I think they made their own beds and then had to lay in them, as the saying goes. (And the maids never washed the sheets after all the sexin' they were up to.)
Movie time!
There are a few film versions. I've seen a lot, if not all of them.
The Mariel film guide to Les Liaisons dangereuses.
1. Dangerous Liaisons directed by Stephen Frears. The best one, in my opinion. John Malkovich's Valmont was cruelty. To himself, and to those he despised for being like him and for not being like him. Keanu Reeves was freaking ridiculous, though.
2. Valmont directed by Milos Forman. I won't sugarcoat this: Colin Firth sucks. By this time I was over my childhood crush of Henry Thomas (and even Psycho IV when he has sex with his mom didn't kill it for me!).
3. Les Liaisons dangereuses. The classic film from the 1950s starring Jeanne Moreau. To be honest I got this on tape from the library and the subtitles were hard to read. I recall that I didn't find it all that sexy. Keep in mind, I had an insane crush on Oskar Werner when taking in Moreau in Jules and Jim. (This doesn't mean that Colin Firth is hot. It doesn't!)
4. Cruel Intentions. Did anyone else like Sarah Michelle Gellar when she did All My Children and teen soap Swan's Crossing? No... Um.... Neither did I.... She's the same soaped up bitch she was in those things. Ryan Phillippe pouts a lot. Reese Witherspoon demonstrated her selling-out abilities early on (she used to be cool in films like Freeway). I did like the line that gay teen played by Josh Jackson utters about closeted gay jock played by Eric Mabius: "He had a mouth like a hoover." I think of it whenever I lay eyes on either actor. (Poor Pacey.)
5. The tv version starring Catherine Deneuve, Rupert Everett and Leelee Sobieski. Awful. I don't want to think about it any longer.
There are more but these are the only ones I've seen. I've got other things to do than watch loads of film versions of the same story. (Yeah, right.)(less)

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Apr 11, 2013 thegift rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: translated, francelit, xlong-over-100kwords, favoritefiction

there is a reason this book has survived and indeed flourished since its publication before the french revolution. compelling, involving, beautifully written epistolary novel- with short letters that keep the story going, great characters, plot, read twice but also read on, more than any other work this has made me think of learning to read french. won’t happen but just a thought. this 2nd time after reading some critical work on it, I was more aware of the flow and power dynamics between the co...more

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Jun 05, 2007 Siria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 18th-century, french-fiction

This definitely my candidate for best novel of the 18th century. Not, admittedly, a hard post to fill, since most 18th century literature makes me come out in hives. A lot of the writing can get rather florid by times (I find it hard to believe that anyone ever wrote out the exclamation 'Ah!' in regular conversation), but Laclos' deft approach to psychological analysis, and the complexity with which he sketched his characters means that it's still relevant after more than two hundred years. Valm...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Liza rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classic-literature, favorites

So many evil thoughts and actions were used by these characters that I can only think that society or the nobility actually did behaved in such a despicable matter back in those days.

Something tells me that Laclos took bits and pieces of actual events that could have occurred with the circle of aristocrats he associated himself with. These events could have influenced this masterpiece of a book.

Yes, I think he wrote it to send out a message but just like the main characters in his novel in whi...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Dolors rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, best-ever

Definitely the best epistolary book I have ever read and probably one of the best novels displaying the double morale in the eighteenth century Paris.
Monsieur de Laclos masters the style, creating two hero-villain characters whom, although monsters without scruples, one can't help to admire. They are playful, amusing, witty and skillful in the art of deception. They are also vain, prideful creatures who seek their own pleasure without caring for the outcome of their poor victims.
Marquise de Mert...more Definitely the best epistolary book I have ever read and probably one of the best novels displaying the double morale in the eighteenth century Paris.
Monsieur de Laclos masters the style, creating two hero-villain characters whom, although monsters without scruples, one can't help to admire. They are playful, amusing, witty and skillful in the art of deception. They are also vain, prideful creatures who seek their own pleasure without caring for the outcome of their poor victims.
Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont are incredibly wealthy and bored to death . So they play dangerous games for entertainment, imposing challenges to each other, seducing young virgins, making adulteress out of prude virtuous women, taking revenge of formers lovers ruining their reputation... and they succeed in doing all the mischief they want without being discovered. What's more, they are honourable and well received in society!
Imagine their mirth when they accomplish every evil scheme they propose while they become their victims' only friends and saviours.

But apart from the elaborated style and the amusing display of strategic tactics which thread the story, one can't miss the allusion to the thin line of what's morally right or wrong. Is "what is socially accepted" the true and only way?
Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont are not exemplary models of sincerity or frankness, but they challenge the imposed rules somehow, they outwit hypocrisy, the problem is that they only do it to achieve personal gratification, corrupting their souls and everyone who dare to trust in them.

In my opinion, it's incredible that a novel written more than 180 years ago, might still stir deep emotions in those who can invest a moment of their time to think about the possible reasons that led a man like M. de Laclos to write this controversial story.
Don't take this novel only as a mere diversion, it's much more than that. It's about recognising that each of us has some of the Vicomte or of the Marquise in us, we are all vain and proud and think ourselves superior to the rest. That's why I value this work, because it reminds us of what wretched and capricious creatures we humans can become.(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Bebulatan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Baca buku ini aku sedih. Sial kau Laclos, kenapa hanya satu buku ini saja karyamu?
Jenius. Ya, Laclos memang jenius.. kehadirannya dalam dua kata pengantar dan catatan-catatan kaki. Unik memang, Laclos seakan-akan menyatakan bahwa dirinya bukanlah pengarang buku ini, namun sebagai editor. Dia berperan sebagai penyusun surat-surat penuh intrik. Sebagian surat dia "hilangkan" karena redudansi sebagian surat yang isinya senada tetap dia tampilkan untuk menegaskan peristiwa. Gaya bahasa yang berbeda...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Billierosie Billierosie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wealthy, devious and bored, the Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil have formed an alliance and begin a dangerous game of seduction and domination. Eager to preserve their reputations, Valmont as a libertine and Merteuil as a virtuous lady they act out their roles with passion and vigour. Together they plot the downfall of the naive Cécile Volanges, the love struck Chevalier Danceny and the pious Madame de Tourvel.

Published in 1782, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses”, by Choderlos De Laclos, is...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Smcleish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned

Originally published on my blog here in May 2000.

Long one of the most notorious of all French novels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses seems to have exerted quite a fascination in recent years, with three film versions (the updated Cruel Intentions, Valmont, and Dangerous Liaisons). The idea of cynical manipulation at the heart of the novel perhaps resonates with Westerners in this age of distrusted mass media, making the interest of Hollywood studios somewhat ironic.

The plot of Les Liaisons Dangereuses...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Megan Chance rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was a bit of a revelation. While I'd seen the movie with Glenn Close and John Malkovich when it came out, and liked it very much (it's a very good adaptation), the book is much more layered and complex. It's written in epistolary style, with letters going back and forth between the characters, and it's fascinating to see what each is telling one person and not the other. The characters are engrossing--some more than others, though all have their moments. I both liked and disliked Valmo...more This book was a bit of a revelation. While I'd seen the movie with Glenn Close and John Malkovich when it came out, and liked it very much (it's a very good adaptation), the book is much more layered and complex. It's written in epistolary style, with letters going back and forth between the characters, and it's fascinating to see what each is telling one person and not the other. The characters are engrossing--some more than others, though all have their moments. I both liked and disliked Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil. Their level of casual cruelty, undertaken simply for their own entertainment, is astounding and disturbing. To see them so easily ruin lives without realizing or--more importantly--caring about the consequences, is a marvel. What's even more astonishing is the fact that I both wanted them to get their comeuppance AND to get away with it. I really liked them in spite of their wickedness, and felt sorry for them. It requires so much skill for a writer to achieve that depth of characterization, yet Laclos does. The book is worth reading for letter 81 alone, where Merteuil reveals to Valmont the skills she has had to develop to control her own life and live fully within the limitations given to women of her class and time, and for letter 110, where Valmont relays to Merteuil his seduction of the innocent Cecile, and his rather casual admission of what a life of pleasure and conquest has made him: "I know not why, but it is only bizarre things which give me any longer pleasure."

Laclos states that he intends the book to be a moral piece, but the eroticism of the work, along with the sadness and poignancy of the characters, makes one suspect that Laclos really meant only to provide an excuse for writing a book about sex and desire and the way it rules everyone in one way or another. It's without the two-dimensionality of so many 18th and 19th Century works of moralizing fiction, a tragedy steeped in irony. It's subtle and graceful and altogether remarkable.(less)

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Jul 03, 2012 N.C. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, 1001-books-to-read-before-you-die

This novel stands out in two distinct ways. The first is that the narrative moves along in the form of correspondance between several characters who are all connected to each other through the manipulation of the two main anatagonists: Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. It is refreshingly original, even today.

The second way in which it stands out is how involved you become with the plot. Each letter changes your mindset as you imagine yourself to be the intended recipient of each l...more

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May 29, 2012 kingshearte rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fiction

The Marquise and the Vicomte tend to be presented as such morally bankrupt characters as to be about as close to full on evil as human beings can be. And I'm not fond of them either. But I found myself even more disgusted and horrified by the society in which they operated than by themselves. Because while their "games" can certainly break hearts all by themselves, it takes certain societal conditions for them to completely ruin lives the way they do. It takes a society where a woman's reputatio...more The Marquise and the Vicomte tend to be presented as such morally bankrupt characters as to be about as close to full on evil as human beings can be. And I'm not fond of them either. But I found myself even more disgusted and horrified by the society in which they operated than by themselves. Because while their "games" can certainly break hearts all by themselves, it takes certain societal conditions for them to completely ruin lives the way they do. It takes a society where a woman's reputation, and therefore her whole life, can be destroyed by even a hint of an inappropriate dalliance — whether willing or otherwise. And that's what's truly despicable about this book. Yes, the Marquise and the Vicomte are reprehensible for knowingly and gleefully exploiting that situation, but I hold most of the other characters just as responsible for the results.

I don't consider myself particularly uptight or prudish, but I really did find this book difficult to read at times, and almost thought about putting it down, as I wondered just why exactly I was reading this, and what was I getting out of it? The two anti-heroes are just such awful people you can't relate to them; the rest of the adults are, as I said, complicit in the events as far as I'm concerned, so I wasn't a big fan of any of them; and the innocents who get screwed over are just so very very naive that it's hard to get behind them too. And I really do find it hard to enjoy a book with no one to root for.

I think the reason I stuck with it, though (aside from the facts that (a) I'm about to watch a play version several times, so I might as well get through the book, and (b) although I'm more willing to do it than I once was, I still don't like quitting books, and try not to very often), is that something about the writing style and the way the plot was drawn out reminded me a bit of Scarlet and Black. The Vicomte's seduction of the Présidente was reminiscent of Julien Sorel's seduction of Mme. de Rênal, and I think that helped keep me going.

Ultimately, I kind of feel like it's one of the classics that maybe doesn't really deserve to be. I really have no idea what it's supposed to have going for it, or what I was supposed to get out of it. Mostly, I just came away from it feeling a bit squicked out.(less)

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Feb 29, 2012 Elie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must start this review telling you I've been forced to read this book, because when you're put in this situation you've the tendency - even if this is stupid - to start reading thinking you won't like it.

I didn't think "I'll hate it." but I admit I was skeptical for this was the first epistolary book I had my hands on. What could be told through letters? Everything in fact, or almost, but that I wasn't certain of it when I first opened it.

I wasn't disappointed because I wasn't expecting anythi...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Indah Threez Lestari rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: in-english, movie-tv-tie-in, historical-romance, 1001-books-must-read-before-you-die

134 - 2012

Efek Pride & Prejudice membuatku akhirnya membaca novel klasik yang satu ini. Apa hubungannya P&P dengan Dangerous Liaisons? Benang merahnya kembali pada Colin Firth (lagi?!). Gara-gara Mr. Darcy-nya yang cute, aku mencari dan mendownload film di mana dia masih lebih muda lagi, Valmont (1989), yang disutradarai Milos Forman (Amadeus). Saat menontonnya, aku tersadar bahwa film itu adalah versi lain dari film Dangerous Liaisons tahun 1988, yang dibintangi John Malkovich, Glenn Cl...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine "The Screwtape Letters" if you were hearing all the sides of the story from Screwtape, Wormwood, Slubgob, the patient, and the patient's mother and friends--all at the same time.

The point of this book seems to be that people are complete jerks. And Laclos does it all through letters, without ever letting your forget that you're reading what someone has written down. Some sections drag a bit (for instance, it's hard to get through all the Presidente's whining), but overall Laclos does a g...more Imagine "The Screwtape Letters" if you were hearing all the sides of the story from Screwtape, Wormwood, Slubgob, the patient, and the patient's mother and friends--all at the same time.

The point of this book seems to be that people are complete jerks. And Laclos does it all through letters, without ever letting your forget that you're reading what someone has written down. Some sections drag a bit (for instance, it's hard to get through all the Presidente's whining), but overall Laclos does a great job of weaving all these different character arcs together and using every single character he put in the book. Some people have said the plot is more developed than the characters, but I found all of them had their own unique voice--and their own problems.

Because this really is a train wreck of a novel. "Be sure your sins will find you out," would be an moral #2. No one is left without dying, being ruined, or seeing the person they love die/be ruined, or some combination of the above. Oh, except one minor character who would totally deserve to be socially shunned but gets off scot free. Irony's a bitch. Moral #3.

And like any work of art, it's in part about blurring the line between art and life. (Moral #4) Which the letter form really works well for. There are so many references to novels and, "the hero would say this at this point, so I'll have to fake it," and in general that truth and lies really get mixed up. Someone can tell you a true fact, but in a way meant to harm you, or someone could be trying to be honest but in fact be less believable than someone lying to your face. Reading this novel has made me take another look at my interactions with other people to see to what extent I'm manipulating them. And, sadly, to learn ways of manipulating them more effectively. But with good intentions, right?

Moral #5 is that women always end up getting the short end of the stick, especially when they don't deserve it. I don't think Laclos is saying women are more evil, in fact any opinion given by one of his characters is usually false. So he's probably just pointing out the hypocrisy in his society with regard to gender stereotypes, just like he points out the hypocrisy in regard to anything else.

Finally, like "The Screwtape Letters," evil can at times be wildly funny. Sometimes you've just gotta ask "how low can you go?" when someone's being entirely petty and without scruple, such as when the Marquise is lauding the benefits of being forced into intercourse because she can always pretend to be innocent. And then you think, "Wait, I'm laughing at this?" but that doesn't make it any less hilarious.(less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Bruce rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This epistolary novel is probably more familiar to movie viewers, a number of films having been based upon it, than it is to readers. Yet, as is often the case, the book is far richer and more profound than any film of which I am aware. The work is fascinating and addresses a number of issues important to modern readers, even if the art of traditional letter writing has given way, by and large, to emails, text messaging, and other electronic media. Of enduring importance are the issues of veraci...more This epistolary novel is probably more familiar to movie viewers, a number of films having been based upon it, than it is to readers. Yet, as is often the case, the book is far richer and more profound than any film of which I am aware. The work is fascinating and addresses a number of issues important to modern readers, even if the art of traditional letter writing has given way, by and large, to emails, text messaging, and other electronic media. Of enduring importance are the issues of veracity in communication, the “truthfulness” of what we communicate even as we try to selectively edit the personae we project. Equally important is the ambiguous nature of written language, requiring as it does assumptions on the part of both writers and readers about connotations and hidden meanings. Written language conceals as much as it reveals, and it always contains meanings that the writer does not intend or recognize.

The novel also deals with power and mastery, including rational manipulation and the elevation of reason above feelings and moral values. In this sense, it presents a quintessentially Enlightenment perspective, and the degree to which this perspective fails is a measure of its refutation of the Enlightenment agenda. Just as characters in the novel are required to “read” not only their letters but the behavior, especially body language, of each other, so the reader of the narrative is required to read the ambiguities and implications of the novel itself. Polarities explored herein include calculation vs spontaneity, materialism vs romanticism, and Skinnerian behavioralism vs Heisenbergian uncertainty. More than an exploration of love, sensuality, and sex, this narrative focuses on seduction as a means of personal power and manipulation.

Ultimately, things fall apart, events and characters are turned upside down, and the “heroes” of the narrative, the manipulators themselves, fail. The puppet-masters themselves are undone. Why? Does this finally represent a triumph of goodness over intellect? But who, if anyone, finally is triumphant in this fascinating narrative? As fascinating as the evolving interpersonal relationships are in the novel, even more interesting are the changes that occur within the psyches of the primary characters, each evolving from beginning to end.
(less)

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Oct 20, 2011 Roberta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

e relazioni pericolose è un romanzo cattivissimo che mette in scena alcuni personaggi "bene" della Francia del XVIII secolo. La Marchesa de Merteuil decide di punire un ex amante che osò abbandonarla facendo sedurre la ragazza a lui destinata in matrimonio. In questo piano diabolico si fa aiutare da un altro ex amante con cui è ancora in ottimi rapporti, il Visconte de Valmont, che contemporaneamente sta attentando alla virtù di una signora moralmente ineccepibile.
Al fine di raggiungere i propri...more

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The 1700-1939 Boo...: Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (Part Four)	10	26	Apr 23, 2012 10:10am
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About Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos was a French novelist, official and army general, best known for writing the epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses.

A unique case in French literature, he was for a long time considered to be as scandalous a writer as the Marquis de Sade or Nicolas-Edme Rétif. He was a military officer with no illusions about human relations, and an amateur writer; h...more

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Books by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Les Liaisons Dangereuses Ou Lettres Recueillies Dans Une Socit, & Publies Pour L'Instruction de Quelques Autres. Par M. C..... de L..... ... Volume 1

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Quotes from Les Liaisons Dangereuses

“When one woman strikes at the heart of another, she seldom misses, and the wound is invariably fatal.” — 79 people liked it

“Truth to tell, the longer I live, the more I'm tempted to think that the only moderately worthwhile people in the world are you and I.” — 38 people liked it

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