When I picked this book up for the first time, I did not realize how truly horrifying it would be. Every page I read made me feel physically ill and I had to put it down sometimes multiple times per page. The descriptions that De Sade provided for both the characters and and their actions made the story feel almost immersive at times – making me wonder how much truth there was to the events played out in the novel. Although, the introduction does seem to try to somewhat separate De Sade from these writings at times, even including direct quotes of de Sade saying that he may have thought these things, but he would never act on them.
Reading the introduction provided an enlightening moment of foreshadowing for the tone of the novel, highlighting aspects of De Sade’s life that parallel the themes of the novel – such as incest, assault, and extreme physical violence. One thing I found interesting was how the acts committed by the four friends started out as more ‘simple’ acts of sexual deviance but eventually ended up as extreme violence. The horror kept escalating as the last thing seemed to not ‘do it’ for them anymore.
It is extremely disturbing to think that a book this abhorrent could be written in just 37 days from the inside of a jail cell, and even more disturbing that these were the thoughts occupying his idle mind. It is not hard to see why this text is so controversial, and I think it raises many questions about the nature of a person who could think up and even act on these ideas.