Les Liaisons Dangereuses

The complex moral ambiguities of seduction and revenge make Les Liaisons dangereuses (1782) one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature. Its prime movers, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil--gifted, wealthy, and bored--form an unholy alliance and turn seduction into a game. And they play this game with such wit and style that it is impossible not to admire them, until they discover mysterious rules that they cannot understand. In the ensuing battle there can be no winners, and the innocent suffer with the guilty. This new translation gives Laclos a modern voice, and readers will be able to judge whether the novel is as diabolical and infamous as its critics have claimed, or whether it has much to tell us about a world we still inhabit.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.


Author: Pierre Choderlos De Laclos
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 06/15/2008
Pages: 448
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 7.68h x 5.16w x 0.85d
ISBN13: 9780199536481
ISBN10: 0199536481
BISAC Categories:
- Fiction | Classics
- Fiction | Literary

About the Author

Douglas Parmée is Retired Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge. He is the translator of Nana, Attack on the Mill (Zola) and A Sentimental Journey (Flaubert) for World's Classics. David Coward is Professor of French at the University of Leeds. He is the translator and editor of Maupassant, de Sade,
and Dumas in World's Classics.