Tag: Fiction

Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 20 Comments

Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos produced “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” in an effort to “write a work which departed from the ordinary, which made a noise, and which would remain on this earth after his death.” He did just that. First published in 1782 in four volumes, “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” was an immediate success, and has since inspired a large number of literary commentaries, plays, and films. The novel is an epistolary piece, written as letters between members of the French noble class. An egotistical battle for control ensues between the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, with the promise of sexual gratification to the victor. The primary victims are Cecile, a naive but pretty young girl, her admirer, the Chavelier Danceny, and Madame de Tourvel, a virtuous (and married) young woman. This scandalous web of sexual desire, intrigue, infidelity, the struggle for power, and the corruption of the French upper class is a masterpiece from one of the most subtle and skillful novelists of the 18th Century.

My Thoughts:

Authentic 1700’s reaction to Dangerous Liaisons. 


Shocking! Scandalous! An outrage to public decency! This book must have caused quite a stir when it was first printed in the late 1700’s. Sexual innuendo leaps from the pages of this beautifully written epistolary novel. De Laclos certainly accomplished what he set out to do, to create a work that would last long after his death. 

Tricking people into losing their virginity?  I disapprove.

The Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont are two of the most devious minded characters I’ve ever had the pleasure to be disgusted by. Seriously. Still, I had to admire their dedication. They want revenge and will stop at nothing to get it. They know what they are doing and they do it well. 

I thoroughly savored every page of Dangerous Liaisons. Thank you to The Classics Club for spinning this book in my direction. The wit and wickedness will be on my mind for a long time to come.

The Classics Club Spin!



Quick Thoughts: Moloka’i, The Obituary Writer, & Indiscretion

~ Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader ~ 20 Comments
Moloka’i by Alan Brennert
Description:
Young Rachel Kalama, growing up in idyllic Honolulu in the 1890s, is part of a big, loving Hawaiian family, and dreams of seeing the far-off lands that her father, a merchant seaman, often visits. But at the age of seven, Rachel and her dreams are shattered by the discovery that she has leprosy. Forcibly removed from her family, she is sent to Kalaupapa, the isolated leper colony on the island of Moloka’i.

Quick Thoughts:
This is one of those epic, sweeping, and long tales that you don’t want to end. Stunningly beautiful, stunningly sad. Don’t fret! It’s also full of hope and redemption. 
The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood
Description:
On the day John F. Kennedy is inaugurated, Claire, a young wife and mother obsessed with the glamour of Jackie, struggles over the decision of whether to stay in a loveless but secure marriage or to follow the man she loves and whose baby she may be carrying. 

Decades earlier, in 1919, Vivien Lowe, an obituary writer, is searching for her lover who disappeared in the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. By telling the stories of the dead, Vivien not only helps others cope with their grief but also begins to understand the devastation of her own terrible loss. 

Quick Thoughts:
I enjoyed both of the stories contained in this book. Moving back and forth from 1919 to the 1960’s worked very well. It could be because I dig both of those time frames. It could be because the writing was crisp and moving. Short, sweet and full of great historical details. Fab read!
Indiscretion by Charles Dubow
Description:
Harry and Madeleine Winslow have been blessed with talent, money, and charm. Harry is a National Book Award–winning author on the cusp of greatness. Madeleine is a woman of sublime beauty and grace whose elemental goodness and serenity belie a privileged upbringing. Bonded by deep devotion, they share a love that is both envied and admired. The Winslows play host to a coterie of close friends and acolytes eager to bask in their golden radiance, whether they are in their bucolic East Hampton cottage, abroad in Rome thanks to Harry’s writing grant, or in their comfortable Manhattan brownstone.

One weekend at the start of the summer season, Harry and Maddy, who are in their early forties, meet Claire and cannot help but be enchanted by her winsome youth, quiet intelligence, and disarming naivete. Drawn by the Winslows’ inscrutable magnetism, Claire eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit. But over the course of the summer, her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire. By Labor Day, it is no longer enough to remain one of their hangers-on.

Quick Thoughts:
Whoa ho ho! What a read! So much glamour, money, and good food. So many horrible decisions! I ate this baby up in a single day. I’ll admit to having a few teary moments along the way. I also have to admit that I wanted to punch one of these characters in the throat. If you want to read a book that makes you FEEL you can’t go wrong with this one.
Have you read any of these? Do you plan on it? As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.