Did She Fall Or Was She Pushed? Dangerous Liaisons Readalong 2024

Thanks @BishyBarnyBee , I'd be happy to post the summaries while you're away. I also like the idea of posting five letters at a time, in line with the Shmoop chunks. Reading a letter every day is proving difficult for my scatty brain.

By the way, Letter 81 is coming up soonish, and it's one of the most interesting letters in the novel from a feminist perspective. It's kind of a mini-autobiography by Merteuil and gives insight into why and how she has become what she has become. So I'm looking forward to it!

@FuzzyCaoraDhubh , you're so right about the sinister nature of Valmont's letter in the third person to Cecile. I feel more conscious than ever (reading the novel this time round) of how relentlessly Cecile is being groomed. It's chilling.

Her mother lets her down as well, though in a less obvious way. She continues to treat her daughter like a child and effectively leaves her with no way to defend herself. There was a moment in Letter 63 where Merteuil says she has to watch out and prevent Mme de Volanges from gaining the confidence of her daughter. Merteuil says that Mme de V could easily win her daughter's trust, by using a bit of gentleness and kindness, but fortunately (from Merteuil's perspective!) she continues to treat her daughter harshly and thus alienates her. So the mother/daughter relationship remains one of mutual distrust.

I think this insight into parenting remains applicable in the 21st c. as well. Authoritarian parenting and infantisiling your children is not in your interest or theirs.

Poor Cecile she doesn't stand a chance.

Letter 72: Le Chevalier Danceny to Cécile Volanges.
Please tell me for the umpteenth time that you love me.

Letter 73: Le Vicomte de Valmont to Cécile Volanges.
Your friend is at hand to serve you and will provide you with writing materials. He advises you to give him the letters from Danceny for safe keeping. He may seem to ignore you in company and treat you as a child. This is only so he can work more effectively and securely for his friend's happiness and for yours.

I thought letter 73 was sinister; Valmont alluding to himself in the third person as the mysterious friend. He also positions himself as the good guy by blaming Mme Volanges for the situation that Cécile and Danceny find themselves in, that she has persecuted them for having fallen in love.
He is only too happy to help out as he is a good friend.

Too good to pass it up ;)

But he is not an honourable man. He is a rat. 😂 I see what you did there, bravissima!

Agreed, cassandre. He isn't saving this woman's reputation* *if he is happy for the story to circulate. Confusing! But he is not an honourable man. He is a rat. Ha!

A good line from Valmont at the beginning of Letter 70: '... the conversation languished as it always does when one has nothing but compliments for one's neighbour.'

I know I was just being all judgy about the gossip, but it's so true that when people have only kind things to say about other people, the conversation can be boring 😜

Bishy said, Making letters public - what can possibly go wrong?

Yes! I find it chilling the way Valmont is planning ahead and is ready to use Cecile's letters as a future weapon against her if necessary. There's a chance she might not marry Gercourt, but now, because Valmont has a grudge against Cecile's mother, he is determined to make Cecile lose her reputation regardless, so he wants her letters.

The physical, material letters play an important role in this text. They can forge bonds between people, but also destroy people.

Valmont is so very pleased with himself about his little 'aventure' in Letter 71. Honestly, Valmont, the story isn't that funny. I note also the homoerotic reference at the end of the letter, when he says that he's kissed by both the vicomtesse and her lover Vressac, and he enjoys Vressac's kisses more. OK!

Shmoop also leaves out the bit at the end of the letter where he gives Merteuil permission to circulate the story if she wants to. And (I'm not quite sure I understand this bit) he says it's enough to make the story public for now, but maybe the heroine will have her turn later. So after all that trouble to save the woman's reputation, he's not averse to making her lose it after all?

There are lots of references throughout the text to nasty gossip or 'medisance'. Like written letters, oral gossip can make or break someone's reputation. And virtually all the members of society seem happy to gossip about sex. Which is one reason society is so hypocritical: they supposedly condemn extramarital sex, but they love to gossip about it.

Letter 71: The Vicomte de Valmont to the Marquise de Merteuil

• Valmont's valet leaves his portfolio in Paris. The portfolio has all the letters.
• Fortunately, Valmont has Le iPhone and can text while he waits.
• Or, well, compose a letter anyway.
• And complain about his valet.
• He also tells the Marquise about how he saved a woman from ruin.
• This woman, a Vicomtesse, had a husband and a lover, the latter named Vressac. All three are not on the best of terms and Valmont decides to have some fun.
• He manages to get the Vicomtesse to his room late at night.
• In the morning, the Vicomtesse returns to her room and finds she's locked herself out.
• Valmont kicks in the door after conspiring with her on a story. She screams about an intruder and Valmont breaks in to stop the alleged attack.
• When the husband and lover show up after hearing the noise, Valmont scolds them for the sleeping through their lady's distress.
• Blaming the noise on rats, Valmont helps the husband and wife to reconcile.
• At the end of his letter, Valmont tells the Marquise to watch out for Prévan.

Letter 70: The Vicomte de Valmont to the Marquise de Merteuil

• At a party, Valmont is praising the Marquise for everyone to hear.
• Another partier, Prévan, expresses total disbelief in her virtue.
• He plans to pursue her.
• Valmont clues in the Marquise, hoping she'll agree to ruin the guy.
• Regarding Tourvel, Valmont intends to make her work for his love. He thinks that her "no" means "yes."

I was going to post the Letter 71 summary as well but the website seems to be crashing. Never mind!

Thanks @BishyBarnyBee for the kind words and the summaries, and to everyone for the comments. I keep getting distracted and falling off track with the reading, then catching up again.

Entitled little whippersnapper isn't he?

Valmont as their guardian angel. What could go wrong? 😬

Thank you @cassandre I enjoyed your comments about the epistolary genre.

And @FuzzyCaoraDhubh I also thought the wood was for hunting or similar

There is another mention of 'liaison dangereuse' in the French text.

I agree and am also surprised by the raciness of it. I suppose male authors would have had considerably more license than female to let their characters sleep around and lead others to.