Customer Reviews

The 120 Days Of Sodom and Other Writings

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3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

The Marquis de Sade - The 120 Days of Sodom and other writings....

Because of the extreme obscenity that we find in his writings they have always been a favorite target of censors, and it wasn't until the mid-sixties that unexpurgated editions of Sade's works became available in English translation in the United States.

For those who would like to read the authentic texts, I can strongly recommend the present authoritative and critical English edition. It has a full introduction, critical essays, bibliographies, etc., and is beautifully translated. But it is not for the beginner, and definitely not for the squeamish. Read 'Justine' and 'Juliette' first.

There are a lot of other 'Sade' books on the market, or books that pretend to be giving you Sade, but the present ediition contains the only authoritative and uncut English translation. As for earlier translations, some of them tend to be rather expensive, possibly because they have usually been issued in limited editions and book dealers have a nasty habit of classifying them as Erotica, as, in other words, "the sort of book that one reads with one hand."

In fact, Sade is not not really erotically stimulating at all. My own feeling is that his descriptions of sexual high jinks are intended more to provoke laughter than to excite, and anyone who goes to him for titillation is going to come away disappointed.

Roald Dahl, the famous writer of children's books, pointed out somewhere that children love the grotesque, the exaggerated, the monstrous, the ugly, the dirty; they find such things hilarious. I think there's more than a bit of this in Sade, and perhaps buried deep down in all of us too. Sade was able to see into the depths of the subconscious mind, and for anyone who is interested in understanding who and what we really are he is unsurpassed.

It has never been an easy task to approach DeSade and make intelligent analyses of him. His very subject matter has for centuries caused serious students of literature and philosophy to relegate him to the hinterlands of social and moral acceptability. There are those even today who wish to present him as a man whose moral message--however disgusting--deserves the kind of appraisal given to more mainstream writers. I have read JUSTINE, JULIETTE, and 120 DAYS OF SODOM--no easy task there--and I have concluded that his appeal lies primarily in those who wish to peek under the blanket of the usual norms of most societies to expose the darker side that surely inhabits the souls of those who already are likely to wish to plow through the thousands of pages of tortured prose that mirrors the tortured ideas therein. In other words, in a free society such as ours, writers ought to feel free to indulge their demented fantasies while being secure in the knowledge that most readers have neither the time, inclination, nor patience to visit a world that is an anti-life as any ever written about.

Those who know of DeSade only by reputation are only vaguely aware that his interests are thoroughly grounded in areas of sexual perversion and torture that have led to his name being held synonymous with the wish to maim, torment, and disgust. For those who have actually gone to the trouble to read his works and are familiar with the general tools of literary criticism, such readers soon enough recognize that his literary impact rests primarily on just the three works listed above. In each of these three, DeSade posits a universe of closed in spaces. Most often, the protagonist is one who is powerful, wealthy, dissolute, and eager to convince his unwilling victims--usually young females--that the God of the Bible and the benevolent Nature of Wordsworth is a fiction created by blind and cowardly writers who refuse to see that life is Darwinian to the extreme. All that matters, his protagonists urge relentlessly, is that life belongs to the strong and the only way to justify the existence of the strong is to prey on the weak. Much of this line of reasoning sounds suspiciously like the extended monologue that George Orwell put into the mouths of victim Winston Smith and torturer O'Brien in 1984. O'Brien's comment to Smith that the future of the human race could be seen as a boot stamping forever on a human face is one that DeSade might have heartily agreed with. In order for DeSade's various dissolute priest/noblemen/merchants to carry out their respective debaucheries, they must first have a place of safety. These places of safety are most often underground, in cavernous dungeons of churches or brothels. The victims are usually kidnap victims as in JUSTINE or prostitutes held in bondage as in 120 DAYS OF SODOM. It is only in closed in boxes that DeSade's protagonists feel safe enough not only to carry out their deeds unseen but these boxes also give them a forum to fulminate against a benevolent God/Nature that does no more than to ensure a steady supply of helpless women whose only purpose in life is to justify the unlimited power of those who can exercise that power only in the limited confines of those walled-off dungeons.

As for what goes on in those closed in spaces, one finds--at least in 120 DAYS OF SODOM--not so much a standard novel of plot, character, theme, and setting, but rather a cataloging of a greviously long list of sin and evil. The list of both tormentor and victim is so depressingly long that one has trouble keeping straight who is doing what to whom. Instead, what the reader finds is a nameless and nearly faceless catalog of willing and unwilling participants. The evil that DeSade holds up as inverted good has no lasting impact on tormentor, victim, or reader. Victims are subject to horrendous bouts of necrophilia, coprophilia, sodomy, and cannibalism to such as extent that the ripples that ought to appear in the stream of an outraged consciousness are somehow muted. And that perhaps is the inner meaning of most of DeSade's thought. Evil and horror are such commonplaces in his inverted cosmos that those who are truly kind and decent are forced to see themselves as does Winston Smith in 1984: as one who is the last and dying remnant of his species. The world must then belong to those who trump the virtues of anti-life. That I can today even question whether DeSade has won out indicates that he has not.

In the opening pages of this rough draft of a "novel" titled "The 120 Days of Sodom", which was long believed to be lost and was re-discovered and first printed in 1904, more than a hundred years after it was written, the Marquis de Sade prepares the reader for what he claims is the most impure tale ever told. He was not far from the truth. This is less a novel and more a catalogue of every imaginable unusual sexual act that the very most extremely perverted imagination could ever think up. I really can't think of anything to add to Sade's long list of sexual possibilities. He covers it all.

The story begins with four, let us politely say "sexual adventurers" (many would say sexual criminals) who kidnap a bunch of women and whisk them off to a very, very secluded castle or mansion, where in four months every sexual proclivity is indulged in between nihilistic philosophical dialogues.

Sade advocated the removal of all social, moral, and sexual rules, and this book is his most fervent fantasy of that ideal. Trained psychologists and laymen alike will find it a fascinating look into the mind of sexual extremism.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

I read this book at the tender age of fifteen the first time, and I have read it numerous times. The content is remarkable, and far fetching. Now, the way I have seen it is that de Sade attempted to show the worst he possibly could, and in some ways he achieved that.

That said, he is a horrendous writer in this book, his style is abominable. But then again, he was living in a time when the vast majority of people were barely literate, if at all.

With an utter lack of compassion, he shows us what the human mind is capable of in the depths of our depravity, and in doing so, sears our minds with the depth of his brilliance. For anything that can be concieved can be done, and some will find arousal in this.

This book shows us the demons that lurk within us all, and it has pushed me to strive ever higher and not become as fallen as the libertines depicted within.

I'm gonna try to get down to the nitty gritty of this book. It's a real love it or hate it book, but I'm somewhere in between. Is it good? Yes and no, it depends on what you're looking for. Is it erotic? Not a chance. If that's what you're looking for, read a Penthouse letter. 120 Days is just interesting and entertaining. It's pretty long winded though, and gets boring kinda fast-this is why I had to take breaks and come back to it periodically. How could it be boring? Being bombarded with one sexual atrocity after another desensitizes you. It's like eating Apple Jacks three times a day for a month-it's just not tasty anymore. All in all, it is fun to read in small doses. Actually, funny if you ask me. The whole thing is so outlandish and overdone that it can't be anything but funny. No, I'm not a fan of physical and sexual abuse towards children(DeSade should have left that out to retain at least some dignity. It's NOT cool, no matter how frickin' "free spirited" you claim to be), and I didn't particularly enjoy that. But as long as it's words on a page and not real actions, that's a big plus. DeSade must have either got tired of the story or was running out of paper coz the last third of the book merely lists the sexual activities and totally does away with the narrative altogether. This list sure isn't Kama Sutra; I wouldn't suggest showing it to your girlfriend or wife for a trial run coz no human being is physically able to perform many these things. If you do though, I salute you coz you're a much braver soul than I. You can look for philosophical and psychological meanings in this book, but lets slice right through the Bull, shall we? Sure those meanings are to be found, but 1 out of 10 people who pick up this book are in it for the sizzle and not the steak. Alot of these people read this and proudly show it to their friends and coworkers coz it's the cool/rebel/freakish, yet intellectual thiing to do. I know people who do this. I don't know if I was trying to be cool exactly when I picked this up, I just wanted to see what the big deal was. In the end, I would suggest this novel. Why? The same reason I tell people to watch Caligula: Just To Say You Did.

...but i do not see why this is a "Masterpiece".

I must admit reading The 120 Days of Sodom was a bit confusing, because i was not sure if weather De Sade is encouraging the behavior depicted in the story (as a reversal of the norms: good is bad and bad is good, and all that matters is pleasuring ourselves no matter who gets hurt), or if he is simply painting the most grotesque picture of humanity to try to force us to look dead in the eye of what we refuse to acknowledge about ourselves.

I would say that the most horrific thing about this book is that the activities in it are not far-fetched at all, when compared to actual people and events throughout history: The Rape of Nanking, the holocaust, the rape and massacre of Bosnian women and children, The massacre of the East Timorese, Underground child porn/prostitution rings throughout the world, ... Dahmer, Bundy, Tepes, Hitler, Milosovich...i could go on forever.

also: Regarding my comments as to why i dont understand why so many consider this to be a masterpiece, it's because halfway through the book, the writing and details become sooo half A**ed. It's like De Sade started out with a great introduction giving us extensive backround to most of the characters, and then after the month of November just decided to completly
rush through everything like : "okaayyy. so this happend, and this, and this...and oh yeah, they did this and this and that, that that that, this this this... and um,ok, thats it, end of story, oh and hey, you'r free to decide for yourself what you think happend in the last 20 days of march for which i give absolutly no account for!! enjoy..."

that, and there is not enough character development. Much left to the imagination.

Also: one thing that seemed odd to me was that: we know the victims are aged 12-15, but yet they are always refereed to as "little boys/girls". To me, a little boy or girl would be no older than 9. Now I know this may seem pointless, but consider the fact that this book takes place in the 18th century, and in those days children were not regarded as they are today. Children in the old days were merely seen as adults, but younger, and it was not such a big deal for someone to have sex with someone who was say 13 years old. To me the term is also misleading because sexual intercourse with "little boy/girl" sounds a lot worse than it's actuall meaning in the book. Also keep in mind that these "Kid's" in the story are around the age of puberty anyway, and that is also the age which young teens usually start to experiment with sexual activity. Of course in no way am I saying that it's o.k what the libertines are doing to these children, just that it might sound a bit different to us 21st century folk, because I know for me, i kept thinking "Little" as in younger than ten, it just seemed strange for teenagers to be considered "Little children"...

Also: I must say that from a medical viewpoint, this book is not very realistic. Take for example, the dreaded Corophillia. It is common knowledge that consuming fecal matter is extremely hazardous to ones health (there is a very good reason it's called "Waste") and these libertines seem to have quite an appetite for it. Yet they are always healthy as a horse...

And the torture...
I feel that out of all the victims, Giton and Augustine endure the most and the worst tortures. Giton for example, undergoes such horrid treatment (i cant even describe it here, and do keep in mind that he's only TWELVE!) that would normally cause anyone, especially a twelve year old, to most likely go into shock and die, yet a couple days later, he is tortured yet again, even worse, and a couple days after that, he is even serving the libertines coffee, and tortured yet again before finally being "Dispatched"!!! Man, those 18th century tweenagers must sure have been getting their daily dose of vitamins and minerals...
But in all seriousnes, the affects the tortures had on the victims just were not very realistic.

Also: one thing I didn't quite understand was that, out of all the victims, why Zephyr and Adonis (except for a few floggings on Zephyr's part) were almost entirely imune to the torture that was being passed out (and most severly, it seemed, to the youngest of the group) to the other boys...

One more thing: Underneath all the possible messages De Sade was trying to send to his dear readers, was one (he probably didn't even mean to) that i thought was comparing these all powerful, undisputed libertines and how they rule over their victims and control every aspect of their lives, and none of the victims can defend themselves, they just hopelessly except their situation and deal with it, to the way those high in power in our world do as they please and make decisions over our heads, and we seem hopeless to do anything about it.

In conclusion: This is a good book and you must read it, for I feel it's point is to bring to light what we refuse to acknowledge about our selves, and if we continue to ignore this very serious issue, as we have done in the past, and do not come to terms with it, or try to fix it, the results will continue to be catastrophic.

of course, this is just from my understanding...

The 120 days of sodom's message could be either:
The world is rotten, change it!
or
Live your life the way you want, without any compassion whatsoever for anyone else. Indulge in every sense no matter who gets hurt.!!

I would have given this book five star's, but I wanted to commit suicide after reading it.. Although I do think highly of it, it's main flaw is that is dishes up such nastiness, and leaves us with nothing to comfort our forever stained minds. Nothing in the sense of "there is still hope"....no hope, just pain death and suffering. what we do dosnt matter, and it all ends in misery....

i suggest Justine, for someone who is unfamiliar with De Sade, as it is more philosophical, developed, in depth, and altogether enjoyable.

One wonders what world some reviewers of this book are living in, and whether atrocities similar to (or worse than) the ones employed by de Sade occur in their world. Then it must certainly be a world of sunshine, lollypops and rainbows. Either that, or some simply refuse to take an honest look at the world they live in and the role they play, consciously or not, in it.

Another author once suggested that it is the purpose of the artist to hold a mirror to society's face, but that too often society blames the artist when it doesn't like what it sees. If that's the case, the de Sade grabs society by the throat, digs in his nails, and shoves its face into the mirror so hard that the mirror cracks and soceity bleeds. That may, perhaps, be his only crime, the force with which he shows us our reflection, particularly when we would rather not believe we live and contribute to a world in which that kind of cruelty and depravity exists and at the very least we would rather not look at it too closely.

Sure, "120 Days of Sodom" is a virtual catalog of man's inhumanity to man, but nothing in its pages is any worse than anything that happened in the world yesterday or that will happen tomorrow. An honest look in the world we live in would reveal that. We live in a world where people have devised countless ways of inflicting pain and misery on one another.

Many of us in this country, well-off enough to afford a computer and internet access live in a society very distant from places where very simliar and actual brutality is happening; like Rawanda where people are hacking off one another's limbs, or parts of African where some children are sold into slavery, or parts of the middle east where bombs paid for with our own tax dollars are are falling on people whose only crime is living in a country whose government we despise.

And the philosphy espoused by de Sade via his characters can often ring too closely true to our daily actions and decisions both personally and politically. How many of us in this and other affluent Western countries are aware of the degree of misery the "way of life" we consider hearly sacrosanct costs people in less affluent countries in misery and degradation? Not many. How often do we ask ourselves who has to suffer, die or be degraded for us to continue to live the lives we've grown accustomed to? Not often if at all. We may be intellectually aware of it, but not enough to consider any other way of living beyond paying it lip service, and we're highly offended if we're shown the other side of the coin at all, let alone up close and personal. For then we might have to admit our role in the world we live in, and we might have to admit that in some ways we are move like de Sade's characters than we might think, and that his philosphy is reflected in more our our lives than we imagine.

Compared to real-world horrors "120 Days of Sodom" is hardly an outrage. And to be outraged by it, but not by the real-world horrors we contribute to every day, and to do nothign to stop them, is perhaps the kind of hypocrisy-masquerading as morality that de Sad criticized.

But, be outraged at "120 Day of Sodom." Are you are not so much outraged at what they see in the film as they are at what they see in the mirror that de Sade is holding up to you and the rest of us shows, even if we do not see the mirror? If we wish to turn away from the mirror, we may. But it will not change the reality it reflects. When the book is over, the mirror removed, we would do better to change the reality instead of cursing the reflection.

After having digested the several reviews of this infamous text, it is apparent that this particular author's work continues to be misinterpreted by both his admirers and critics alike. True enough, the tale of "120 Days of Sodom" is abhorrent. True enough, this may well be an understatement. In fact, I found myself so repulsed, I ended my reading prematurely and forwarded to the end for a "just" conclusion. I found none.

However vain you may judge my faith in the man's ability to produce a less tragic ending, my faith was still justified. I have read other works by the Marquis and have come to the conclusion that he possesses a certain admiration for the virtuous. Please read "Augustine de Villeblanche or Love's Strategy", which is not as supportive of libertine behavior as once suspected. One need only to analyze the ending (and not much analysis at that) to discern the Marquis' true intentions. I would also implore his readers to check out "Emilie de Tourville or Fraternal Cruelty" for those cynics who doubt that the protagonist (usually the innocent or virtuous) find themselves participants in a just ending.

I must also make it abundantly clear to everyone that this text was not finished! It is a fragmented and incomplete story resurrected from the storming of the Bastille, where the Marquis was held before the French Revolution. An event which meant everything of the Marquis' was looted or destroyed. By providing an assessment of this particular work, (by either endorsing it or denigrating it), we have missed the obvious...that we are prejudging it. So, I have in turn rated this tale based on what I know of his other works. I have interpreted "120 days..." to be a wake up call for the sexually capricious who heed the call of the adventurous and bizarre. Keep your extravagances in check, for this is what you too could become. It is a warning. With the explosion of pornography, media's everyday endorsement of the licentious and a growing interest in the prurient, we probably need to be familiar with this tale of horror now more than ever. Do you not see the parallels between the barbaric indulgences of the French aristocracy of yesterday and the way we live today? Be wary.

As anti-God as this man has pronounced himself to be, he comes across as a moralist interested in promoting virtue rather than crushing it. Yes, I am familiar with the man's past which is far from angelic. However, I have derived my conclusion by reading his works. A pen weighs more than any critic or admirer. I have approached this man's work looking for a kernal of morality and discovered that he was not as cynical as once thought. Is the Marquis the cynic or are we?

This collection probably won't please a pious reader, but it pleased me. I never laughed so hard (or so often) as I did when I read 120 Days, Florville and Courval, etc.
Most reviewers don't find Sade amusing, and I understand why, however I do. If your sense of humour runs blue, so to speak--REALLY blue--then you might enjoy Sade's writings.
The Introduction to 120 Days is brilliant. Part the First drags a bit, especially during Duclos' narratives. Parts the Second, Third, and Fourth are short descriptions of various horrors.
Sade didn't finish 120 Days; thus as a whole it doesn't read as well as Justine, which I highly recommend, or Florville and Courval, which is a lot like Justine. Nevertheless 120 Days is everything that one might expect from Sade and probably more. I highly recommend it.

De Sade is a powerful writer, an influential writer, and even an insightful writer. What he is *not* - even by his own stated standards - is a good writer. It's not a matter of moral sensibilities, because if you're intending to let yourself be outraged I can't imagine why you'd be reading this. His prose is enthusiastic, violent, sometimes downright childish, but when it comes down to it most of the time it is just plain awful.

I should mention, quickly, that if you intend on reading the 120 Days and you know what you're in for, this is a good edition to read. It has some very good supporting material, an excellent introduction by Klossowski, and some other writings of de Sade (including a more conventional published article that was simply hilarious).

Some very good essays exist by such authors as Bataille and Klossowski, however, that are probably more coherent presentations of his ideas than you'll find in his own work. I'll grant the importance of going straight to the source, of course, since that's why I read this myself. In retrospect, though, I would find reading a book of literary criticism *on* de Sade much more rewarding than this book.