I’m entirely at fault for taking this book entirely at cover value (and for not remembering sooner who Marquis de Sade is) because heavens, what a misleadingly titled book this turned out to be!

Maybe I’m wrong, but from what I understand, what makes gothic fiction is largely its atmosphere which has a prevailing mystery and terror, the setting and elements of the paranormal and supernatural. I had expected a book with such characteristics, only to be utterly blindsided by ‘ Eugenie de Franval ‘, the first short story which prominently features incest, paedophilia and toxic relationships.

Suffice it to say, this set the tone for the rest of the collection which also includes scenes of rape, kidnapping, gaslighting, adultery and more. So, rather than a collection of gothic tales, I think it would be more apt to describe this as a collection of red flags and trigger warnings masquerading as questionably “humorous” or didactic short stories. Or, to put it in kinder words, a collection of fictional works that’s the 2020s dark romance of the 1800s/mostly sadistic erotica but written in the way one would write impassioned philosophical contemplations between virtue and vice, piety and depravity.

Nevertheless, I could objectively appreciate the gorgeous writing and philosophical aspects of Gothic Tales. Marquis de Sade had a beautiful way with words and his critique of the society in his day gave much food for thought. For me, ‘ Florville and Courval ‘ best displayed these aspects, plus it had an emotional impact the other pieces in this collection severely lacked.

Shocked.
Disgusted.
Entertained.

This is my first Marquis de Sade book and it did not disappoint. I am a lover of all things dark and gothic but do warn that this may not be for everyone; check the TWs. Amazing prose with a few LAUGH OUT LOUD moments; such a delight.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy/early read opportunity!

Iconially this author is known for his passion and erotic themes within his writings. This is a collection of stories that give an insight into the author's signature style of writing. Told from the gothic these will be entertaining for many who enjoy such works.

Thank You Pushkin Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

As a lover of gothic tales, this collection satiated what I look for in them; unsettling, dark, and well written! This was my first time reading De Sade, but certainly won't be my last!

This is actually quite a tough book to review as de Sade is not the easiest author to read but I think if you're aware of all that's associated with his writings there are things to enjoy about it.

There's obviously lots of awful things in his stories, so go in with your eyes open and be prepared to be shocked and often disgusted.

That's being said, there are some turns of phrase that I found quite lovely and some social commentary that can be studied by reading his work.

I would recommend for those who enjoy gothic fiction with very dark themes.

Honestly, the introduction is probably my favorite part of the book. I do feel like Marquis de Sade's stories are simply not for me, even though I understand his exploration of libertine philosophies and the implications of sadism as a concept.

That being said, this anthology is much more accessible and almost like a bedtime story compared to 120 Days of Sodom. I feel that if there's a Marquis de Sade book to read just to get the essence of the themes and ideas he espouses, this one is best to start off with since it's not very gratuitous (and I still wouldn't recommend it if you overall hate degeneracy no matter what, check out the trigger warnings).

Eugenie de Franval and The Horse-Chestnut Flower stuck with me the most, the rest are a little boring. Thank you Pushkin Press and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions are my own

A collection of dark gothic tales that is written in de Sade's salacious and racy prose with a side of philosophy for the good, naughty and cheeky.

The most important thing before reading this book is that you look up the trigger warnings and take them serious.

I have to admit that I expected more. A bit more darkness and a bit more creepiness. It's not a bad book and I had a good time reading it but there was something missing. Maybe it's because some of the short stories were too short for my liking. I liked the first story the most. It was also the longest and that allowed the characters to unfold more. It was most intriguing and interesting.

It's always interesting to read a well-written collection that is not for you. The prose is great, the ideas are unique to say the least, and I was equally shocked, horrified, and intrigued by the stories.

A bit too much incest for my liking lol but what can you expect from the man who is literally in the dictionary under the word Sadism.

I have to admit, I LAUGHED OUT LOUD at the ending of the "Horse-Chestnut Flower." What a wild ride that was.

All in all, 5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the ARC.

I've always been curious about the Marquis de Sade's writings, what with his notorious reputation. And while this isn't his most well known works, the collection was a lot more tame overall. As much as stories about infidelity and incest can be. The first one was easily the most disturbed, if only because it was the longest story, so it spent more time detailing the process of Franvall grooming his daughter, manipulating his wife, and mostly getting away with it. The rest of the stories fell between tragic stories of fatal coincidences, and very short erotic comedies. It was not what I was expecting.

 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6541751232

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f8d29ee8-7645-4e1c-9c12-1d105d793b20

Check out this review of Gothic Tales of the Marquis de Sade on Fable. https://fable.co/review/a902f002-81fb-4b36-a3f1-f911b39250ec/share

Sometimes, you gotta read the classics, and let me tell you, this one that collects a bunch of debauched bourgeoisie and their goings on is up there for a reason. As evidenced by the title, these are obviously a bit on the dark side, but it's still a treat.

This was my first time reading anything from this author so I was not prepared! Luckily I enjoy reader the darker themes so it did not bother me at all. These stories were well written but definitely not for everyone.

Prior to this, I had never read any of Sade’s work. I’m not sure I ever will again.

His writing interweaves sexuality and behavior/emotions as a sort of psychological analysis of mankind (according to the foreword which I found to be quite good background!). I appreciated that while Sade’s work is very sexual, it’s not very graphic. At least by today’s standards.

These stories all read as a lot of rambling and word vomit which isn’t my cup of tea. Almost every paragraph seemed endless and my eyes would just get so fatigued. I also think the arrangement of the stories could’ve been better (start with 2-3 shorter stories rather than with Eugénie de Franval, perhaps putting that one last because it seems to best demonstrate Sade’s writing prowess).

Overall
Although I struggled to the end, I’m glad I got to try something new despite Sade turning out to not be for me!



Thank you Pushkin Press Classics and NetGalley for the DRC! This title will be available September 3, 2024.

I am a huge fan of the sadistic Marquis de Sade. I loved reading this collection of his tales as it helps dive into the mind of insanity through trauma and really makes you feel unsettled. A good book to read right before bed, as it’ll give you that chill down your spine.

Soooo wonderful. Gothic Tales contains a handful of work by de Sade, of which the novellas Eugénie de Franval and Florville and Courval make up the bulk of it. This was my first collection by the author, and they were so much fun! The work is disparate enough in tone that I can say assuredly that the term "gothic tales" is more to sell copies than anything (the original title, Eugénie de Franval and Other Stories is far more appropriate, though far less likely to be taken to check out). Much of the delight in these stories is the melodrama—It reminded me of how fun reading early 18th-century work like Love in Excess by Eliza Haywood could be—and the stories often ran like a contemporary telenovela.

The fun of it all could be obscured by the bits of real horror, of which the first novella, Eugénie de Franval takes the bulk of. While sometimes obscured by the ridiculousness of the situation, de Sade writes moments of real hand-over-mouth disgust, surprise, and terror that somehow transcend the 200 years since his words were written. His style is dated, there's no argument, but what I love about 18th-century work is that political and religious diatribe, of which de Sade has much to say. His mind is fascinating: how unique it is to read true moral ambiguities from a man born half a century before the French Revolution! To explore these big questions through sex and the institutions we have built around them! I must read the rest of his work!

The only real criticism I can make against this book is the introduction, which is more of a statement on this edition being simply a reproduction of previous publishing houses' work. The work as it stands was first translated in 1965 by Margaret Crosland for Neville Spearman Ltd., who wrote a small introduction for the 1990 edition when Peter Owen Publishers owned the rights. This introduction is extremely poor and does not appropriately introduce the material in the book as it should, which is especially egregious as it's both a collection of stories written throughout his life AND written by someone whose infamy precedes himself, colouring the entirety of this work. Doing some digging, it seems Pushkin Press has bought the Peter Owen press and simply made a reproduction of the last edition :( This was the most disappointing feature of this book: If you are going to hold the translated rights to work in a genre as complicated as the Libertines please do it some justice and hire a proper academic to write a proper introduction!

In all though, a wonderful time.

I went into this book, expecting to be scandalized by the infamous Marquis de Sade. Now, having read it, I have to say that the writing is much more modest than anticipated—although, I suppose in the Georgian times it was decidedly scandalous. That is not to say that it doesn't hit on many illegal and/or taboo topics, because it does. If you read this one, just go in with an open mind and realistic expectations.

Good writing. Interesting stories. Some serious moments and some humorous moments. I found the horse-chestnut story to be particularly delightful.

I do need to mention that this is a bit of a challenging read, as is most writing of that time. So, expect a slow pace and many long, convoluted sentences (although I did find that the shorter stories read better than the longer ones).

A strange, but fun read.

Maquis de Sade has won me over with this! i was struck by how much I loved these stories. A must read!

As you might expect if you're a fan of de Sade, this collection was a bit of a wild ride!
Some stories were great ("Emilie de Tourville" being my favorite) while others were a bit lackluster and harder to get through.
But the writing is just beautiful throughout, and if you love the opulent prose of the 1800s this one is probably one of the greatest examples!
That being said, this collection definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. The explicit content and dark themes might be too much for some readersーalthough I would imagine most people know what they're getting themselves into when they pick up a de Sade book. Just... maybe don't give it to your grandma.

If you're into gothic literature and love taboo themes and stepping outside of the comfort zone, Gothic Tales is a must-read!

What a beautifully written collection of Gothic tales from the talented de Sade. If I'm understanding correctly, these are newly updated and expanded stories based upon new literature from de Sade being discovered and they eloquently explore the dark and depraved side of human nature in a way that few others have managed to emulate.

In the film Quills, the Abbe retorts to the Marquis De Sade as follows:

‘Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not the anti-Christ. You’re nothing but a malcontent who knows how to spell.’

It was a shrewd piece of literary criticism. Despite periodic attempts to wring his works for a few drops of humanism, De Sade’s stock of characters and events was as thin as a pencil. Calling these ‘tales’ is a blunder. A tale has a start, a middle, and an end. Sade’s fictions in general - and ‘Eugenie De Franval’ and ‘Florville and Courval’ in particular - aren’t stories. They’re a string of lectures, seemingly written in starch instead of ink:

‘I am not unaware, madame, that the pretexts for your scene were the odious suspicions that your dare to form about me, but fantasies do not justify crimes; what you thought is false, but what you have done is unfortunately only too real. You are surprised at the reproaches that my daughter addressed to you concerning your irregular conduct only after the whole of Paris has done so; this state of affairs is so well known ... the proofs are unfortunately so consistent, that those who speak about it are guilty at the most of imprudence but not of calumny.’