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Reproduction of the original: Dangerous Connections, v. 1, 2, 3, 4 by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
An epistolary novel chronicles the cruel seduction of a young girl by two ruthless, eighteenth-century aristocrats
Dangerous Liaisons is the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, two narcissistic rivals (and ex-lovers) who use seduction as a weapon to socially control and exploit others, all the while enjoying their cruel games and boasting about their manipulative talents. It has been seen as depicting the decadence of the French aristocracy shortly before the French Revolution, thereby exposing the perversions of the so-called Ancien Régime.
For the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont seduction is a game - the former lovers relish manipulating others to bring amusement to their jaded existences. While Valmont is determined to succeed in his conquest of a virtuous married woman, Merteuil challenges him to seduce an innocent convent girl who it to be married to her former lover. As their intrigues become increasingly duplicitous and they find their human pawns responding in ways they could not have predicted, the consequences prove to be more serious, and deadly, than the two conspirators could have guessed. Depicting decadence and moral corruption in pre-revolutionary France, Dangerous Liaisons (1782) is one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature.
Unlock the more straightforward side of Dangerous Liaisons with this concise and insightful summary and analysis! This engaging summary presents an analysis of Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, the renowned story of two libertines who decide to corrupt an innocent young girl and a devout wife. The novel was truly scandalous at the time of its publication, and was even censored for many years due to its risqué nature; however, it has since been celebrated for its exploration of important themes such as seduction, revenge and human malice. Laclos’s work has inspired many critical and analytical commentaries as well as various adaptations, making him one of the most significa...
An engaging, highly accessible and informative introduction to French literature from the Middle Ages to the present.
Dangerous Liaisons is a 1988 American period romantic drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on his play Les liaisons dangereuses, which was itself adapted from the 18th-century French novel of the same name by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. It stars Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick, Peter Capaldi, Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman. Dangerous Liaisons was released theatrically on December 16, 1988, by Warner Bros. It received generally positive reviews from critics with praise for Close and 's and Pfeiffer and 's performances and the screenplay, production values and costumes. Although it was a moderate commercial success grossing $34.7 million against its $14 million budget, it was cited as a box office disappointment. The film received seven nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, including for Best Picture and won three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.