Sade Music Videos: Tiny Library: Justine by the Marquis de Sade

In the classics section of my new library, they have a set of Perennial Forbidden Classics. I selected Justine from them because I've heard so much about how black and controversial the Marquis de Sade is, and wanted to try for myself.

For me personally, the book felt more like a philosophy argument than a paper or novel.

The main character, Justine, is made to suffer purely because she is a good and moral person.

Throughout the bible she is repeatedly tortured, both physically and mentally, and sexually abused. Every time she helps another person it leads to yet more abuse.

The very content of the news does sound shocking when written down - there are repeated and lengthy rape scenes - and it's definitely not for the faint hearted, but there was something about it that stopped it from being good or affecting. I say it expecting to be upset at all the abuse, but I just wasn't. And I don't think that's because I am a horrible psychopath, I think it's because De Sade has written it like a philosophy treatise with no emotional connection whatsoever. You never get out what Justine is thinking, or why she keeps on trusting strangers. She never has a bit of doubt, or anger, or self-pity. She's supremely detached in a way you just wouldn't be - at one leg she comments that someone cut off her toe as if she is discussing the weather. I consider it lacked the world and emotional connection to get it truly shocking or disturbing.

On to the philosophy sections, which were obviously dear to De Sade's heart. His main occupation is that in a corrupt world, there is no property in being good or virtuous, because you can profit better from following vice. He loves this blood so much that he has every function that abuses Justine repeat it. By the end of the word this gets pretty tiring.

At the 1st and end of the book, there are moments when it feels as though De Sade is doing a bit of damage limitation, as he knew how shocking his novel would be. He is at pains to state that he is simply writing the story to inspire others to be virtuous, because if Justine can remain virtuous after everything that has happened to her, surely everyone else can. This doesn't really ring true with the way the book is written and has an air of 'get out of jail free' about it.

I'm glad I say this, if but to get out for myself what all of the statement is about.

Score: 2.5 out of 5