Philosophy in the Boudoir

Part unabashed erotica, part social discourse, 'Philosophy in the Bedroom' is undoubtedly one of the Marquis De Sade's most uncompromising works. This tale, told in the main in dialogue, recounts the education and the resulting moral decline of Eugenie, at the instruction of Madame de Saint-Ange and Le Chavalier De Mirval, and their friend and collaborator Dolmancé. Humorous in its telling and raw in the depiction of its scenes, the work leads the reader to the essence of De Sade's Libertinage, from riotous revelry to potent anti-establishment prose, the laws of Nature and on to its unforgettable conclusion. 200 years ago, this author was shocking audiences and forcing the masses to confront something the upper echelons of society had long known; pleasure, in all its forms and devices, was everything.