Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos

Sometimes it is hard to understand and/or appreciate a book without a background knowledge of the time and circumstances of its writing, and that is certainly the case with this French novel written in 1782, seven years before the French Revolution. It portrays a decadent upper class so idle and bored that they amuse themselves with games of seduction and revenge through sexual intrigue, ruining reputations and lives in the process. Thus, some scholars count this as a book of protest against the social structure of its time; yet it was immensely popular with the same aristocracy it portrayed, included Queen Marie Antoinette. The author has been reported as saying that he had "resolved to write a book which create some stir in the world and continue to do so after he had gone from it." He accomplished this, I believe, by playing both ends against the middle here, so to speak, appealing to the seething resentment of the masses while at the same time titillating the upper classes with spicy intrigues.

Two amoral male and female protagonists, who are former lovers, plan the downfall of a pious young married woman and a 15-year-old convent-educated innocent girl. As they conspire in their complicated schemes, it becomes clear to the reader that the author intends that they be admired for their cleverness. Their downfall in the end seems very perfunctory, almost as if the author "chickened out" of letting them get away with their odious actions.

The plot is revealed entirely through letters, which would seem to be an awkward way to tell a story. However, as it turns out, it is the perfect way to tell this story. Each letter writer reveals his or her own thoughts, actions, and reactions while at the same time revealing character traits to the reader. The letters themselves become part of the plot, serving as a method of exacting revenge. (A message, by the way, to modern readers who use e-mail and social media posts -- beware of leaving written evidence. It can come back to bite you.)

This rather distasteful story is, still and all, deserving of its classic status, mainly due to the author's considerable skill. It did, however, leave me with a vague guilty feeling that I enjoyed it.