The 120 Days of Sodom An Introduction [EasyRead Edition] Paperback – Large Print, December 1, 2006

I actually read this historically notorious work years ago and, as I've done in many cases, recently decided to back up the paper original with a digital copy.As the pop sensation '50 Shades of Grey' has little (to nothing) to do with what practitioners would call "real" BDSM, '120 Days of Sodom' is more evocative of the dungeons of the Spanish Inquisition than of the safe, sane and consensual practices engaged in by those in that understandably quiet community. In short, this is no Romance Novel.Nor is it a starter's guide to tapping a little kink or two into your marital boudoir.It is of course fascinating and shocking, and if you're the least bit interested in what sort of high-born excesses inspired the French peasantry to rise up and start cutting all those aristocratic heads off, go for it. [Hint: it wasn't "Let them eat cake."]If you can make it through the first few chapters, anyway.I couldn't on the first try, and "prudish" or "squeamish" are not words that anyone would ever use to describe me.Remember that de Sade wrote this while he was imprisoned. He wasn't in for parking violations. And it's not fiction. So if you're caught up in this current, blushing interest in the naughty and one of your Lit or European History Major friends mentioned the old Marquis in your after-movie giggle fest, look away. However if you are genuinely compelled to learn more about the more advanced forms of phychosexual expression I reccomend 'The Story of O'. That, I can assure you, will be scary enough a leap for the book-and-Chardonnay club.

This is the seminal BDSM book! It is packed with seminal stuff, in fact. Kidding aside, this so-called novel recounts in sometimes excruciating detail the natures of sadists, with some more about masochists and aficionados of Bondage and strict Discipline. By any standard of human decency, the characters and the story are abjectly repulsive. The book celebrates the practice of the reversal of all things called humane and the indulgence in every depravity the mind can concoct.As such there is a certain purity and completeness in that it purely reaches the deepest depths of human bestial degeneracy. It is also called great literature. Most sane adults should read it in order, at least, to come face to face with its topics as a way of encountering the world comprehensively.

Worth a read. I knew it was going to be sick and twisted by reading other reviews. That is what pulled me in. The content was truly demented. Shocking, however, the shock value wears off fairly quickly. Pretty much every single sexually deviant behavior you could possibly imagine, predictably, happened. The deviance escalates as the book goes on, but it does so in such a long drawn out way that I found myself quite bored by it. I did finish it and I'm glad I did because this book is such a controversial one.

OMG this book is explicit dirty disgusting depraved. But sooo soo interesting. I had to stop about half way because it was truly too disturbing the things being described and the physical abuse being performed on these people. After putting it down for about a month or two I picked up back up and was slightly less disturbed, (still disturbed) but just a little less. But I would say everyone should read this book once.

I had no idea this was just an introduction to 120 Days of Sodom, have to buy the whole one because I am now in suspense.

This was not for me at all... Could not read this, too much for me.

I bought this hoping for a full, unabridged version. This publishing is not either. I didn't check out the first review.As for some of the other reviews on this book. The Marquis De Sade did NOT write pretty things.He is infamous for his deviant explicit sexual content/violence. Anyone who has NO IDEA of what or who he is, should probably do a bit of research before picking up one of his books and being offended and disgusted, The word Sadist, is said to be based on his name.

A hard and bitter pill to swallow. This is not "easy" read, however if you understand the point of the book you will see that it could not have been told any other way. One book that I guarantee will change the way you look at the world forever.

Got this as part of research as it was much mentioned during my degree. I only got so far into it and haven't been able to return to it. Although I will because I hate leaving works unfinished. The main characters are cruel and their acts horrific. Would I recommend it? Only with caution and only to the right audience because there are depraved people out there and children need protection.

I purchased this on back of a news paper story about this becoming a French national treasure. It was truly horrendous without a doubt the work of an anti Christ the author was one messed up cookie , the French can bloody keep it in their vault!!

Hard hitting and raw, not for the faint hearted, definitely writing that aims to push limits - but let us be clear, this is not for everyone, and there were many times in which I clenched and whinch for a hard hitting read at times - painful and lust - horror and disgust - fantasy and intrusive, but it is the way of Marquis de Sade.

To much pedophilia and homosexuality for my liking, read about a third and found not a hint of eroticism, the intention of the book seems to be, to repulse or disgust

disturbing reading, someone said it was on the list of 100 books to read befoer you die... there are some chapters where the latter option is more pleasing.. I haven't finished it. not sure if I can