Les Liaisons dangereuses (Oxford World's Classics)

That is one of Oscar Wilde's many famous quotes, and if it was true, then Oscar would have been delighted to meet the main characters of LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES. I certainly was. The Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont are wicked, possibly evil, and yet (and this can be attributed to Laclos's literary genius) they will probably become the characters you end up rooting for. Laclos, during his life, continued to insist that this novel was written for instructional purposes, a sort of this-could-happen-to-you type thing, but I'm not so easily fooled. Laclos, throughout the story, points out which characters are good and upstanding or plainly innocent (Tourvel, Rosemonde, Volanges) but he really wants you to hate these characters, and he uses the subtle language in their letters to achieve this. On the other hand, he makes the 'bad' characters (Valmont, Merteuil) more charming using the same technique. In other words, I believe that Laclos was trying to test his readers' principles. You know that what the Vicomte and the Marquise are doing is wrong... but you can't help wanting them to succeed and get away with it. You are bending your own morals because--while their victims are annoying and gullible--you find them to be witty, clever, and charming. And these are just fictional characters. What would happen if you met such people in real life?, Laclos seems to be asking. Clever though they may be, Valmont and Merteuil eventually reach a point in their twisted game where they cannot control it, and though they were once unholy allies, they become sworn enemies out of spite. They have already ruined so many other people, and now the time has come to ruin each other. [SPOILER WARNING] However, Merteuil, probably the more wicked of the two, gets away with her life, which is more than can be said for Valmont. There is even a note in the back of the book which suggests that she even overcame her deformities (caused by smallpox) and continued her way of life in Amsterdam. [END SPOILERS] They are not the only ones to suffer. Their victims are all brought down by their scheme, in different ways and in varying degrees of disaster. Again, Laclos uses his deceptive writing skill to make it seem like these characters deserved their fates because of their stupidity or naivete, without actually saying this at all. The reader ends up feeling worse for Valmont and Merteuil, who undoubtedly deserved their punishments. It is almost impossible to describe what Laclos has done in a review. You must read the actual novel in order to feel the sheer genius in it, the way he conveys meaning between the lines, without actually writing anything out to that effect. It really is like nothing I've ever seen before. If I could give this masterpiece more than five stars, I would. This is the art of literature at its finest, and Laclos will have you under his spell the whole way through.

The Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil are both focused on getting their pleasure wherever they can get them. I couldn't believe this book was written in 1780s as I felt scandalized reading it now, so I can't imagine what it was like for people reading it then! It took a bit to get to know the characters, but once they were all straightened out in my mind I really enjoyed the story. And once you have the personalities ingrained, as a reader you really get to enjoy the satire present in every one of the letters. The only reason I gave a 4 instead of 5 stars as the ending was a bit lame. It was to tidy as all those who were naughty got 'justice', which I found to be a bit cliche. Still, this is a classic that I am extremely happy I took the time to read. I would highly recommend. I promise you won't be bored.

What I love about this book, aside from the fact that it maintains a voyeuristic appeal through its epistolary form, is that it is cerebrally sexual. Laclos' language is gorgeous and his subtlety is sublime. The book is wildly sexual but never crass or disgusting. Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont are the absolute paragons of villainy you will love to hate. The book is at its simplest level a study of the total destruction of naivete and innocence, but you can be sure that just desserts will be served all around. A fantastic novel...if only de Laclos had written more! Also, the movie version starring Glenn Close and John Malkovich is wonderful as well--but of course, I recommend reading the novel first.

Very very interesting insight into the potential (fictional?!) lives of the wealthy living in France in the 1800s. This epistilary novel focused on love is filled with plotting, manipulating, backstopping, and cruelty, def worth the read!

What a tough book but enduring as well. It was harsh but it felt true. A classic (but not in the sense Mark Twain quipped). I think this edition with the extensive footnotes was very helpful to understanding the story and its place in literature.

I was pleased with the condition of the book. The story, however, is just not my cup of tea. I have read the book and seen the play. It's just not for me.

Clear reading for today's readers, but when an 18th-century character describes something inauthentic as "bogus," it sounds inauthentic. The notes are useful for historical items and situations we might not be familiar with, but try to hold our hands a little too much in interpreting the character's motives, things the reader should be left to interpret.

This is a classic well worth studying along wit the French original. Much to say for our times. It was way ahead of its time. Some footnotes are original by the author, and some are from the editor, and some from the french edition, but they are not distinguished on the Kindle edition anyway..

Choderlos de Laclos, on the strength of this one book, was a master writer. That this novel, written in 1779, seems so modern and fresh in 2009 is surely a mark of genius. It has all the attributes of a modern book in that it is impossible to put down (a page-turner),is spot on in descriptions of male/female behaviour (emotional intelligence), has a very moral message and most of all, spellbinding characters. That this is all achieved through a series of letters makes the result even more astonishing, as although it might put some people off to hear that a novel is written through letters, here one is so bound up in the story that it only registers later that it is entirely in letters.. Don't miss reading this. It is one of the 100 books one must read, if only purely for enjoyment. I place it up there with Dickens, Tolstoy, Proust, et al, as a very great work of literature which manages to be utterly enjoyable as well. de Laclos expressed a wish that "this book would create some stir in the world and would continue to do so after I've gone....." It does!

livre acheté par erreur faute d'avoir vu qu'il était en anglais. Amazon est à l'écoute de ces clients, enseigne commerçante, l'histoire se termine bien.

O livro é anunciado com o título original na língua em que foi escrito mas trata-se de uma tradução.

If I had not read this book for my group, I would have given up half way through. The repetitious letters between Cecile and Danceny, two teenagers, could easily have been cut in half so that the interesting ones between the two main decadent anti-heroes, Vicomte de Valmont and Marquise de Merteuil could take more centre stage. And despicable they are, male and female, in their competition to morally destroy the married but unwitting Madame de Torvel as well as Cecile and Danceny. Yet their knowledge and skill with seduction techniques is fascinating and highlights a line in the book: 'Scoundrels have their good points just as men of honour have their failings.' Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa

A readable translation. I’ve not read the original so can’t comment on the quality of the translation, but the language was plausible and it made an enjoyable read.