Dangerous Liaisons

Fragonard, Blond Odalisque (Marie-Louise O'Murphy), 1752

By Choderlos de Laclos, trans., with notes Helen Constantine, London: Penguin Books, 2007

I saw the movie Dangerous Liaisons in 1988 staring Glenn Close and John Malkovich, and shortly thereafter read the book.  This story introduced me what Pre-Revolutionary courtly culture long before I ever took a history class on 18th century Europe.  I could have done worse.  The Vicomte's betrayal of Madame de Tourvel because he is afraid others are laughing at him confirms the truism that Vanity is the enemy of Happiness.  A novel about cruel willfulness.  Told in letter form, the text is crafted by an "editor" and a "puplisher" but not an author.