it's quite hilarious and poignant in a way, though it has that trainwreck appeal
it's clear that the book is not at all like its fictionalized cousin in Dorian Gray; by itself A Rebours is not capable of corrupting or inspiring anyone
it is a study of inaction, and maybe has some significance in challenging literary tradition
mostly it is about a very elaborate and futile effort by someone with deepseated issues to reject society and nature
it can be read to be very sad, or very absurd; but such a book as described by Wilde does not exist that inspires its reader to the state where
"There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful."
Liaisons Dangereuses, by Laclos: IN PROGRESS
I admit I came across this book not only due to its reputation but because of various fictional portrayals of Laclos that intrigued me
but what stands out, first of all, is that you don't get a sense of the personality of Laclos through the writing
he is so in control (methodically, scientifically) of the voices of the characters that you never imagine them as anyone else; you picture them vividly just as they should be
never is there the sense that the writer is stretching them too far to say something of his own
now with that said, this is a scandalous page-turner just as expected, and at points more hilarious than expected
there is so much horribleness going on but it is a delight to read (????)
Merteuil is a great character, her snippiness and way with words are just fantastic to behold
and the thing is, by certain readings I'm sure she can be a proto-feminist antihero instead of villain
especially in her explanations of self, that she came to be this way because she essentially had the mind of a scientist but had only the roles society gave her to work with
this is my very drastic interpretation but yeah
I wonder if this reflects one of Laclos's frustrations actually
in the book I read earlier (The Dangerous Memoirs of Citizen Sade) Laclos was described as a champion of feminism and a meticulous researcher/engineer
whose great ideas were rarely taken seriously
so I guess if you squint you can see the author in this work after all but it's very subtle
ANYWAY DON'T READ THIS IT IS ETC.
in retrospect the contrast of Laclos and Sade in The Dangerous Memoirs was really well chosen, even if the book itself was unremarkable
all of this taken together, even with his unflattering but fascinating portrayal in A Place of Greater Safety, gives me the impression of someone self-centered but not self-concerned
and who came just this close to being visionary