This is a very fun collection of darker Gothic stories. Most of these will actually be familiar to readers in some capacity, and that made it extra comforting to read through. It's bold and distrubing at times, and deeply introspective at others. When you think about how this was written in the 18th century, it really was ahead of its time—especially since Gothic wasn't even an established genre yet.

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Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this title. These thoughts are my own.

I am so thankful to Pushkin Press, Marquis de Sade, and Netgalley for granting me advanced access to this galley before publication day. I really enjoyed the dialogue and plot of this book and can’t wait to chat this one up with my friends!

Turns out I’ve read most of these stories before, but it makes sense to repackage them here for their gothic themes and add a pleasing cover. My hope springs eternal, with each new edition, that Sade gets placed in his rightful political context, his radical philosophy that’s more dangerous than any pornography.

For example, in “Eugénie de Franval,” you get people who bail at “ugh, incest” (which: fair) without ever making the connection that for dozens and dozens of pages Sade is setting up the parallels of a god that would supposedly create in his image and then confine his creation to an infantile, subservient existence, call it love, and give free reign to a government that exploits that theology to oppress its citizens. If incest sickens us, then why are we not disturbed by that? And so on, using individual cruelty to illustrate the cruelty of church and state, ripping at the seams of civility and rattling the chains.

I relish Sade for his boldness; I’m disturbed by Sade for the same. If Justine or Juliette is too daunting, then his short stories are an adequate aperitif. (Although Philosophy in the Bedroom is still the best introduction to Sade’s themes, IMO.)

Amoral or moral? You decide the Marquis's intentions. Not for the squeamish.

I've attempted de Sade before and always come away unable to complete (smutty joke intended). I wasn't actually aware of the content of these stories before starting, Gothic Tales to me meant something else, though I was actually pleased to discover this was very readable, and definitely had the genre feel of the Marquis throughout.

A set of short stories, some 2 pages long, others 50, all with the tone and content the name conjures up, but nothing that takes it so far to make it impossible to read.

Saying that - there's a whole lot of hellish impure stuff going on in these pages! Fornication, impure relations, and an unexpected amount of moralising.

Some horrifying stories here, a lot of ill-used women and rakish men, and I have to admit at the conclusion of one in particular I laughed aloud as all the threads came together in one fiendishly hellish finale that I now struggle to describe to friends.

It's over the top, it's delightfully amoral, and it really isn't for those who like light beach reads. A classic of its own kind, glad I can finally say I've had a moment with the Marquis.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

This was a great collection of stories which were definitely gothic and taboo. A few stories I thought I knew what was going to happen but always ended up being surprised. The writing's pacing is great as sometimes I read a few in a day and other days I was satisfied with just one. I think they would be great to revisit, especially with the gothic 18th century nature around spooky season!

This was described as a translated version of renowned 18th century aristocrat Marquis de Sade
As a VC Andrews fan i was immediately drawn to the description of erotic gothic horror and use of satire and commentary of the times society but i found this distasteful and boring.
I may still try to buy a physical edition but i dont think i would recommend this going into it as fun and sexy but more as uptight and prejudice

I'm not sure I knew this was short stories when I requested it, but it was a fun break from longer novels. The stories in here vary based on theme and how they made me feel, but overall this was an interesting reading experience.

A great introduction to the works of Marquis de Sade! I think some are daunted by older literary works but this book felt accessible as well as outrageously cheeky and insightful,

I remember reading the Marquis de Sade when I was younger and enjoying it a lot. Every story was spicy and disturbing, and it felt good to read them, out of the look of the adults that would probably suggest the younger me to not read them. But these collection felt so bland and lifeless. Probably the very different reading experience and the years, makes this collection feel so boring. I couldn’t engage with most of them, I was repulsed but not surprised by the content as a first time Sade reader would be. I was expecting more.

Witty, transgressive and accessible collection of Sade stories. As a Sade scholar, this really breaks down the intricacies of Sade for the everyday reader and allows an avenue to approach the misunderstood writer and thinker.

Gothic Tales by Marquis de Sade is known for its intent to shock and provoke, but I found the stories more tedious than thrilling. While the collection aims to unsettle with its dark themes and transgressive content, much of it felt repetitive and lacking in narrative drive. That said, there were moments where an interesting message or critique of societal norms peeked through, offering some substance beneath the sensationalism. Overall, though, the stories didn’t wow me like I thought they would. I'll never look at Horse Chesnut trees the same way again though...

I didn't know what to expect from this collection, considering that the Marquis de Sade was a rather controversial and provocative figure throughout much of his life, but I'm glad that I kept an open mind about reading some of his work.

Misadventures aside, the man was a uniquely gifted writer who wasn't afraid to graze the edges of what society thought was appropriate, and those attributes are on full display in Gothic Tales. In my favorite short, Florville and Courval, we see an unhibited woman unburdening herself as she confesses to her "sins", and in doing so, she finds freedom from societal expectations and normative feminimity.

The other stories seem to create an odd marriage of high-brow and hilarious, smart and, well, trashy (see: Self-Made Cuckold), but all of it is fun, and unlike anything else I've ever read. I was genuinely disappointed when I'd reached the end of the collection.

Gothic Tales definitely is meant for a certain kind of reader. If you watch SNL and find yourself clutching your pearls during each sketch, then this isn't for you. If you have an open mind and an irreverent senses of humor, then you should add it to your TBR.

Some works are quite hard to review. Classic literature is hard to review. Short story collections are hard to review. Older writing styles are hard to review. This just so happens to be all three of those rolled up into one, so writing a review for it is quite the daunting task. If you want to study classic literature, you should give this collection a chance. It is pretty wild, even by today’s standard, but it is a unique work that intertwines sex and philosophy. The first story is the weakest in my opinion, and the strongest ones are actually often the shortest, but nevertheless, I admire the work for what it is and what it was during its time. It has some unique plots and fun characters, even though the writing style is a bit hard to get through. That being said, if you are into short story collections or old literature or weird stories or sexual misadventures or corny smut jokes or philosophical takes on societal relationships, maybe check it out.

This collection of short stories is my first experience of reading Sade, and it is somewhat what I expected. There are 2/3 longer stories that are more philosophical/religious in nature and are concerned with sex in relation to morals, and the other stories are shorter and almost have the function of a limerick or a long form joke. The language was a bit archaic at times, and so it took a lot of concentration and made it slightly more obtuse to read. On the whole I think this is a good intro to Sade, however I don't think it's really my cup of tea.

This is the first time that I have read anything from the Marquis de Sade directly and I have seen from my research that these tales are some of the most accessible of his work. Of course this is an author whose reputation precedes him but what I found most interesting about the short stories were how they were more concerned with the philosophical limits and constructions of virtuousness rather than violence or cruelty. These deal with still taboo themes of incest in many places but they often function as part of a wider philosophical analogy about goodness and the inherentness of morality. I think it's a wonderful translation and an interesting place to start if you want to understand more about the history of French philosophy and thought.

I love anything gothic and this book was just that. I was drawn in by the cover and stayed for the plot! There were a few instances I struggled to get through but that was purely due to my inability to stay focused lol.

This book drew me in with its electrifying plot and never let go. The story was filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The author’s ability to weave a suspenseful narrative with complex characters made for a captivating and thrilling experience. It’s one of those rare books that truly thrills and engages, making it a standout in the genre.

The Gothic novellas in this collection, while not exactly to my taste, are well written and comparable to other works in the genre of the era.

I found the short stories included much more to my liking. They aren't Gothic stories, but are better described as fabliaux: short tales of irreverent and bawdy humor. Several of them had me laughing out loud.

Recevied via NetGalley.

You know what makes this book special is how misunderstood Sade was and still is. But I get it why Sade must be considered dark and tantalizing and full of sins.

This is a collection of 8 stories namely
Eugenie de Franval
The Horse-Chestnut Flower
The Chastised Husband
Florville and Courval
The Husband who Played Priest
Emilie de Tourville
Room for Two
The Self-Made Cuckold

And some are good, some are okay but to be honest, they weren't shocking as I thought they would be. Maybe because I was reading them in an era where we are habitual to many dark and cruel things.
If Sade had been born now, he would have been a famous guy.

Thank you Netgalley and Pushkin press for this wonderful collection of stories and for making me acquainted with the legacy named Marquis De Sade.

This is a fun collection and I think it will work well within our library's collection. Always nice to have a set like this to save some space too.