Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

The copy I have is hardbound and I was told it was the original binding. My recollection is that that first copy I saw was paper-wrapped and so I believed that was how they were all bound. I passed on that particular copy and didn’t see another until I found my copy ten years later. The decadence of Alistair’s illustrations seemed to me to be a perfect match for the story. I saw the Black Sun edition at the San Francisco Antiquarian Book Fair when I was in the city for CODEX 2011. Both of these have very nice illustrations, by Raymond Hawthorn and Chas Laborde, respectively. At some point I added the 1940 Nonesuch Press edition, found at a used bookstore at a price and condition too good to pass up. My first read was in the very nice 1979 Folio Society edition, itself a reprint of their 1962 edition. I’m not much for film but have promised my partner, who has never seen it, a movie night now that I have two reads of the novel under my belt. The film was uncomfortably great, if my memory serves me. I first experienced Choderlos de Laclos’ masterpiece in the theatre in the ‘80s, where Glenn Close and John Malkovich masterfully acted out the creepiness of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. That would defeat the purpose of The Whole Book Experience, which is to try to describe the experience of reading a book in a specific edition.

Despite the fact that I know the story well enough that I could have stopped and still written most of this review. The two main characters are just so creepy and despicable but the writing is so good I didn’t want to stop reading. I now have three editions of this book even though I don’t enjoy reading it very much. i've always felt that too many long letters (or emails) create the worst miscommunication and assumptions if they're not followed up with regular face-to-face meetings and this novel proves it.Ī great study in love, communication, deceit, lust, and the importance of being highly regarded by society in 18th century france. it's a wonderful study in eloquent syntax and also a great study in modes of communication. i would recommend this book for anyone who reads juicy young adult novels or loves classics. I was not expecting the ending at all, which is neat, especially given that this book is from centuries ago. love can destroy, especially when ill intent is involved. the letters between the two main characters and between, well, everyone else, paint an intricate picture of what love can do to people-whether intentional or not, whether there are (plenty of) ulterior motives involved or not.

Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos