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

Letter 40

But as she has no character and no principles, she is fair game!

We're out and about this weekend and my phone won't let me format the extract so I'm resorting to a screenshot.

Ah, we've all been there! Either racing ahead or falling behind is pretty much standard for a readalong. I have a fantasy of an elegant life where I adjourn to a reading nook for my meditative daily chapter, but that's sadly not how it turns out in reality.

To be honest, if you've read it before you could probably get the gist if you start at letter 39. Or skim the Shmoop summaries, though they do miss out a lot of the exquisite details.

Ooh, "No character, no principles" is harsh! The level of disdain for Cecile, and the implication that she deserves anything that is coming her way. And the line about being "almost jealous". M de M is so well written - and so very brutal.

Letter 38: The Marquise de Merteuil to the Vicomte de Valmont

• According to the Marquise, Cécile has neither character nor principles, which will make it easy to influence her to do what she wants. She's very impressionable.
• She's amused that Danceny hasn't even gotten a kiss from his secret sweetie.
• Adding insult to injury, the Marquise has talked trash about Gercourt to Cécile, convincing his future wife that he's a despicable man.

Yes! Go....walk out that door... just turn around now...

I guess it would be a shorter and more boring book if she did though.

Letter 36: The Vicomte de Valmont to Madame de Tourvel (postmarked Dijon)

• Valmont argues that his love is genuine and justified and that Madame de Tourvel is wrong to shun him.
• He's postmarked the letter from Dijon (a lie) in hopes that she'd open it and read it (thinking it was from her husband).
• He recounts how when he met her, he first just thought she was beautiful.
• The he fell in love with her character and virtue and tried to make himself worthy of her.
• Only when he couldn't contain his love any longer, did he express it.
• And what did he get? Pity? No, contempt and rejection.
• She needs to think about his suffering and fix it.

Letter 37: The Présidente de Tourvel to Madame de Volanges

• Tourvel wants to take Volanges' advice and get away from Valmont, but she doesn't think she can ask Rosemonde to send him away or leave herself. He'd just follow her.
• She thinks her only option is to convince Valmont to leave.
• If he refuses, then she'll go.

V de V writes that he has enough tact not to reproach her, and promises to obey her request that he stay silent. Then produces endless pages of accusatory drivel.

Surely there is nothing in this manipulative onslaught that would actually convince her to give in?

At this point, I cannot imagine his plan succeeding, he's just too obviously unpleasant. But I'm sure I will be proved wrong...

Letter 35: The Vicomte de Valmont to Madame de Tourvel

• In a tone like Danceny's, but with a much more polished and sophisticated style, Valmont places the blame for his love on Tourvel herself.
• If it's a crime to love her, well then, she's the instigator.
• He demands to know who it is that has been telling her terrible things about him and what they've been saying.
• Only then can he really defend himself against their charges.
• Her letter made him feel so miserable that he's tempted to return it to her.

So...

the V de V is an absolute rake with a track record of romantic devastation behind him. He has set his sights on a highly moral, innocent and apparently happily married wife. The C de C is scathing of his choice, but now happy to encourage/goad him on.

Surely the only attraction here is the power of the forbidden? And the moment La Presidente caves in, V de V will lose interest?

But what are her choices? Her resistance is driving him crazy and making him worse. But if she gives in he wins.

What else can she do at this point?

Letter 33: The Marquise de Merteuil to the Vicomte de Valmont

• The Marquise tells the Vicomte that he's wasting his time trying to appeal to Tourvel's heart through letters.
• To really get her to cave in to him, he needs to do it in person. It's too easy to resist in letters.
• It's also too difficult to fake feelings in letters. She thinks his phrasing gives him away.
• It's way easier to be convincing in person—you can cry, have sad eyes, sound sympathetic, etc.
• BTW, she's making good progress with Cécile.

• Valmont disagrees, saying he has no choice except to write because Tourvel, "the monster," won't speak to him.
• Even getting letters to her is impossible. She won't even accept them.
• Valmont sends a letter postmarked from the location of her husband, thinking this will trick her into opening it.
• It works.
• She opens it before Valmont and Madame de Rosemonde.
• She's not pleased, but won't tell Rosemonde who it's from.

Letter 32: Madame de Volanges to Madame de Tourvel

• Despite Tourvel's account of Valmont's generosity, Volanges still has no illusions about the fact that he's really an evil jerk.
• One good deed can't possibly prove anything. It's outweighed by the hundreds of terrible things he's done and the people he's hurt.
• She warns Tourvel again not to trust him and not to even be in his company.
• She herself only allows him in her home out of social obligation. She knows it seems hypocritical of her.
• She also warns there'd be a huge scandal if people learned they were staying under the same roof. Even the Marquise wouldn't do that.
• She seems desperate to get Tourvel to see the truth about Valmont.

Letter 31: The Chevalier Danceny to Cécile de Volanges

• Danceny is now ecstatic even though the two of them have to hide their love from others.
• He promises to love her more every day and devote himself to her forever.