The first thirty days of 120 Days of Sodom, while definitely disturbing, pale in comparison to the pure torture described in the later days. Any semblance of artistry or greater meaning is lost to me throughout the rest of the book. Sade describes horror after horror, written in a long list that becomes progressively more terrifying. These pages reveal what I can only describe to be the true evil Sade possessed within himself.
Whereas I feel that one could feel some kind of dark fascination towards the first part of the book due to the taboo nature of its contents, the later parts transition into something so disgusting that there was nothing at all to be gained from reading it. The book is an insight into the worst of humanity, and it’s something I never needed to see. I don’t think there’s any sort of value to be found in these latter portions of the book, whether it’s for academic pursuits or not. All I really have to say is that I read only a few pages of the last section of the book- it made me feel physically ill. While I can understand the book having been assigned, and the first section being worth reading, the rest of the text is too appalling to me. It’s just a list of heinous crimes against humanity written by a disgusting human being who represents everything wrong with our world. I hated it.