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

[BishyBarnyBee]

Following a series of successful Fallen Women readalongs - War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, Ruth - we continue our exploration of desire, hypocrisy, disgrace and redemption with the earlier (and even more scandalous) Dangerous Liaisons.

Widely adapted in text, film, opera and even ballet, Les Liaisons Dangereuses is an epistolatory novel comprising 175 letters.

Author Chodelos de Laclos "resolved to write a book that would be quite outside the ordinary trend, which would make a sensation and echo over the world after I left it." His book was a succès de scandale on its 1782 publication, reviewed as "diabolique" while becoming an instant bestseller. Marie Antoinette commissioned a blank cover copy for her library, and Virginia Woolf later read it with "great delight".

Readalongs are Mumsnet's best kept secret - a quiet corner of the site where we tackle the books we might not manage alone, sharing our thoughts and reactions, and encouraging each other to keep going when life - or the book - are challenging. It's fine to dip in and out as life permits, very few of us manage to keep up consistently.

We've only heard good things about DL, so do join us for a cracking good read. We start 1st May, 1 letter a day:

1 - 31 May Letters 1 - 31
1 - 30 June Letters 32 - 61
1 - 31 July Letters 62 - 92
1 - 31 August Letters 93 - 123
1- 30 September 124 - 153
1 - 22nd October 154 - 175

There are summaries of each letter at shmoop.com. I'll post them when I can, but anyone is welcome to start us off if you are first here on the day.

Looking forward to it!

Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) Summary

Free summary and analysis of the events in Pierre Ambroise François Choderlos de Laclos's Les Liaisons dangereus...

Thanks Bishy, I'm in!

Brilliant, Bishy! I'm in as well.
Looking forward to it very much!

Looking forwards to it!

The Présidente was definitely pushed!

(I've only ever read it in French -- do most translations use her title, or rename her Madame de Tourvel, as the Stephen Frears film adaptation did? It would probably read quite strangely in English...)

I'm in! Thanks @BishyBarnyBee

Go on then, count me in

Excellent name change. Any clues as to your previous incarnation or do you wish to remain anonyme?

I was previously TheWriteStuff. I got lost on Ruth and fell behind - though lurked - but am keen to try again.

Ruth is the first readalong I've managed consistently, and then only because I committed to lead it. I've generally fallen behind, struggled to keep up, then been too impatient and read ahead. But got a lot out of them anyway! Hope this one works for you, @VicomtedeValmont

I'm in. This will be my first one! I need to do a buddy read for a reading challange I'm doing, and I love an epistolatory novel.

I don't have the concentration to read books any more (hope that will change as I have several to read - eg The Lymond chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett). I remember reading Les Liaisons Dangereuses for my GCE O levels, eons ago now, and saw the film with John Malkovich, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer, Una Thurman etc. Absolutely gripping performances. 🌹

I’m in placemarking

What translation are people reading? There seems to be a few different options. My dad has a lovely old hardback Folio edition, but I think realistically I need to get an e-book version that I can read without my glasses on

I've just gone for the Penguin edition on Kindle. There may be better versions but I think Penguin is usually pretty reliable. Anyone else got a favourite?

I will join!

Thanks @BishyBarnyBee - I'm in!

I'd love to join for this too! Had to give Ruth a miss due to time (or lack of) commitments, glad to be back on board

I'm in.

Almost finished Ruth and I think would have DNF'd if not following along with the thread.

Thanks for flagging this on the Madame Bovary thread Bishy. I would like to give it a go with you all. I fell away early on the Ruth thread but will see if I can keep up with this. I have picked up a library copy translated by Richard Aldington. Looks to be a pace of 2 pages a day so I hope to keep up!

Just picked up my copy from the library - excited! I'm trying not to buy any more books so I had to get in French - will probably crack and buy the translation if it's too hard. 😅

Placemarking. I'm not sure whether I'll have time to reread this but I'm pretty sure I'll remember enough from previous times to join in. It really is a cracking read, should be light relief from some of your previous endeavours.

As I recall my Everyman English edition does refer to Michelle Pfeiffer as La Presidente de Tourvel.

This is the push I need to re-read this - I still have my copy in French from my university days - over 30 years ago! I am going to try reading in the original and see how I get on.

I’d like to join! I’ll read it in French (that’s what the library has - I’m in France - and I really need to read more in French!) I think I might have read at least some of it in translation at uni, but I can’t remember any details. I assume it’s not actually anything like Cruel Intentions?

I think you'll find the plot very recognisable.

So in awe of those of you planning to read in French.

Having adapted my writing style for the Ruth summaries by sprinkling in vaguely longer and more archaic words than usual (not always successfully) I am currently warming up for DL - and driving Monsieur Bishy barmy - by using an 'Allo 'Allo style French accent at every opportunity. Happily Shmoop is doing the summaries this time so you will be spared my worse than schoolgirl efforts.