The Gothic Tales of the Marquis de Sade

Translated from the French by Margaret Crosland

The notorious author of pornographic novels, a sexual pervert who spent much of his life in prison and whose name was unmentionable in civilized circles, only in recent times has the Marquis come to be seen as misunderstood; essentially a moralist, his exploration of the so-called dark side of the human psyche remains as relevant to our society as it was to his own.

The Gothic Tales will provide an excellent introduction to Sade’s fiction; these accessible stories range from the dramatic novella Eugenie de Franval, in which a father’s criminal passion for his daughter leads to intrigue, abduction and murder, to comic tales such as The Husband Who Plays Priest, concerning a lecherous monk who finds an ingenious way to combine clerical duties with secular pleasures.

De Sade’s gift as a humorist are much in evidence, as is his particular delight in unusual marital situations – which invariably lead to the most diverting conclusions.

‘This book is indispensable reading to de Sade enthusiasts, and is also the best possible introduction for those who are not yet familiar with his work.' – Literary Review

‘Margaret Crosland, translator, sails through everything with the imperturbability of Matron giving a bath to a randy old man.’ – Hardie Amies, Daily Telegraph


THE MARQUIS DE SADE was born in Paris in 1740 and served as a cavalry officer in the Seven Years War. His debauched life led to long periods of imprisonment, during which much of his work was written. The revolution freed him and he became a zealous revolutionary; however, the publication of such works as JUSTINE and LA PHILOSOPHIE DANS LA BOUDOIR resulted in his renewed imprisonment and in 1803 he was declared insane and committed to the asylum at Charenton, where he died in 1814.