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A review by aprilisque
Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
the whole plot of this book could be summarised in one sentence. horrible people doing horrible things to each-other.
the book is written in epilstorary form and it revolves around 2 former lovers and their intellectual rivalry of power and lust. they take pride in their games, in seducing others and ruining them for their own fun. both characters are incredibly complex while also being equals in a way - their dynamic solely relies on their combined interest and adventures of doing horrible things to others. valmont is charming, attractive, deceitful and dangerous. he has built quite the reputation of being a player essentially and his newest obsession is madame de tourvel, a married woman to a member of the french parliament. marquise de merteuil, on the other hand, a manipulative and charming widow, who uses her status and influence as a means to gain her way. she's seeking revenge against a former lover of hers, who left her for a younger woman. in this revenge, the plans on ruining the young girl, who's set to be his fiancée. and while valmont doesn't want to take part in the revenge plan at first, too focused on his current obsession, he ends up joining after the mother of the young girl, a trusted friend of madame de tourvel, tells her to stay away from him, thus bringing his game of seduction to a momentary halt.
as the novel progresses, we get to see just how truly devious these characters are and how scandalous and horrible are the things that they do to people for their own pleasure. while merteuil plays the game to gain the upper hand and have that control, valmont is the kind that enjoys the chase and every second of it. their victims fit into the same profile always - innocent, naive, pure and trusting. however, they eventually turn on each-other and their deadly game spirals out of control - collapsing everything in its making and having grave repercussions for those involved.
i've never read anything quite like it - the writing was good and the characters were very distinct. it was also interesting from a psychological aspect to get to know these characters, their motivations behind their actions, the way they played their games and the effects they had on their victims. what i didn't like was how long it was - obviously this is a slow paced novel, but it was a bit tiresome to get through sometimes. in the end though, in classic ending fashion, karma turns the perpetrators into victims of their own schemes.
what a book honestly, very much ahead of its time! i could go on and on about it honestly, but i fear this review is already very long.
anyways, here's some of my highlighted quotes:
"Mankind is never perfect, in good or in evil. Scoundrels have their good points just as men of honour have their failings. This truth seems all the more important to believe since it leads to the need to be indulgent towards those who are evil as well as those who are good; it stops the latter from becoming arrogant and the former from losing heart."
"These words in pencil may perhaps get rubbed out but the feelings engraved in my heart never will!"
"Thus armed, I was keen to try my hand: not content with preventing people from reading my thoughts, I delighted in showing off different aspects of myself: having mastered my gestures, I directed my attention to my words and controlled both of them according to the situation or even as my whims dictated. From that time onward, I was in complete command of my thoughts and I revealed only the ones it was useful for me to show."
"You are the only one of my flames that ever for a second made me lose my self-control."
"do you prefer to be this dictator who pronounces sentence without granting a hearing, do you have the heart to be unjust? Command and I shall still obey.
But I need to hear this sentence, this command, from your own lips."
"And as you plunge my soul into the depths of despair, perhaps one last glance from you may comfort me and give me the strength to survive."
"love’s arrows, like Achilles’ spear, carry with them the antidote for the wounds they cause."
"love is an independent spirit; being cautious may help us to avoid it but can never enable us to overcome it; once it’s born, it can only die of natural causes or complete hopelessness."
"this charm we find in other people is all in the mind; it’s only love which makes the loved one appear so wonderful."
the book is written in epilstorary form and it revolves around 2 former lovers and their intellectual rivalry of power and lust. they take pride in their games, in seducing others and ruining them for their own fun. both characters are incredibly complex while also being equals in a way - their dynamic solely relies on their combined interest and adventures of doing horrible things to others. valmont is charming, attractive, deceitful and dangerous. he has built quite the reputation of being a player essentially and his newest obsession is madame de tourvel, a married woman to a member of the french parliament. marquise de merteuil, on the other hand, a manipulative and charming widow, who uses her status and influence as a means to gain her way. she's seeking revenge against a former lover of hers, who left her for a younger woman. in this revenge, the plans on ruining the young girl, who's set to be his fiancée. and while valmont doesn't want to take part in the revenge plan at first, too focused on his current obsession, he ends up joining after the mother of the young girl, a trusted friend of madame de tourvel, tells her to stay away from him, thus bringing his game of seduction to a momentary halt.
as the novel progresses, we get to see just how truly devious these characters are and how scandalous and horrible are the things that they do to people for their own pleasure. while merteuil plays the game to gain the upper hand and have that control, valmont is the kind that enjoys the chase and every second of it. their victims fit into the same profile always - innocent, naive, pure and trusting. however, they eventually turn on each-other and their deadly game spirals out of control - collapsing everything in its making and having grave repercussions for those involved.
i've never read anything quite like it - the writing was good and the characters were very distinct. it was also interesting from a psychological aspect to get to know these characters, their motivations behind their actions, the way they played their games and the effects they had on their victims. what i didn't like was how long it was - obviously this is a slow paced novel, but it was a bit tiresome to get through sometimes. in the end though, in classic ending fashion, karma turns the perpetrators into victims of their own schemes.
what a book honestly, very much ahead of its time! i could go on and on about it honestly, but i fear this review is already very long.
anyways, here's some of my highlighted quotes:
"Mankind is never perfect, in good or in evil. Scoundrels have their good points just as men of honour have their failings. This truth seems all the more important to believe since it leads to the need to be indulgent towards those who are evil as well as those who are good; it stops the latter from becoming arrogant and the former from losing heart."
"These words in pencil may perhaps get rubbed out but the feelings engraved in my heart never will!"
"Thus armed, I was keen to try my hand: not content with preventing people from reading my thoughts, I delighted in showing off different aspects of myself: having mastered my gestures, I directed my attention to my words and controlled both of them according to the situation or even as my whims dictated. From that time onward, I was in complete command of my thoughts and I revealed only the ones it was useful for me to show."
"You are the only one of my flames that ever for a second made me lose my self-control."
"do you prefer to be this dictator who pronounces sentence without granting a hearing, do you have the heart to be unjust? Command and I shall still obey.
But I need to hear this sentence, this command, from your own lips."
"And as you plunge my soul into the depths of despair, perhaps one last glance from you may comfort me and give me the strength to survive."
"love’s arrows, like Achilles’ spear, carry with them the antidote for the wounds they cause."
"love is an independent spirit; being cautious may help us to avoid it but can never enable us to overcome it; once it’s born, it can only die of natural causes or complete hopelessness."
"this charm we find in other people is all in the mind; it’s only love which makes the loved one appear so wonderful."