A surprisingly enjoyable collection of stories! de Sade wrote in a very eloquent way which makes the shocking things he wrote about seem more despicable but this collection of stories is quite tame in comparison to his other, more famous works. It's a shame that the internet exposes people to so many horrific things because it does take some of the shock factor out of these stories.

Once you look past the more depraved stuff, de Sade's commentary on religion, social structures and the position of women in society is really interesting and I found it surprising how many parallels I could see between his writing from the 1700/1800's and the modern day.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this collection

Uncomfortable: that’s how I usually feel when I read De Sade, and this collection of short stories is not an exception.
However, I’ve read ever more disturbing works from the infamous marquis, so I can’t recriminate and, in the end, I can say that I quite enjoy the reading.
Even if it’s not for everyone, I can recommend it to these who enjoy dark erotica, but they have to remember that’s not what we mark as dark erotica nowadays.

A charming collection - a republished set of stories curated and translated by Margaret Crosland - that kept me entertained from start to finish. I think these are ultimately lesser de Sade (would anyone contend otherwise) but there’s so much humor and pathos even in this brief sojourn into the Marquis’ slightly less perverse territory. These are juicy tales nonetheless - perhaps less erotic than reader expectations may portend - but worthwhile in the man’s body of work nonetheless.

If anything I wish there had been more supplementary material - I would’ve happily read more criticism and context, either recycled writings by Crosland or new works by contemporary writers, in the vein of other recent republications. As is, this is the right length, and a lovely new collection for a new generation who aren’t quite in the mood for <i>Justine</i> or <i>Sodom</i>, which is certainly reasonable.

Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Going into this book without knowing much about Marquis de Sade, it was an interesting way to explore his writing, the contents, and how he explored various concepts like morality, sexual desires, human nature, and philosophies.

The first story, Eugenie de Franval, was the longest of the eight short stories, about 40% of the book, followed by others of various stories. They explore similar concepts through 18th-century writing.

It was interesting to read this and then research about him afterward. I would suggest it, but please know that it can be triggering.

I had never read Marquis de Sade before, so I jumped on this, but it turns out, it wasn't for me. I didn't mind the subject matter, I just didn't like the writing style and I just wasn't interested enough to be engaged with this. There are 8 stories, which offers a good variety, and the cover is simply beautiful, so I suggest giving this a try if you're curious and you think the dark themes are something you can handle.

I enjoyed Sade’s efficient writing style, matching each story in this collection, transporting you in time and place.
Franval’s story was an ideal length for me, and must have allowed the writer for more complexity and layering due to that.
The mood and pacing is 4-5 stars in most of these stories.
Plot and characterisation varies between 3-5.
Hence, overall, a solid 4 stars.
Great for those who like macabre, grotesque and gothic tones.

If you like classic writing with 18th century setting, this is for you. There are eight tales and they are certainly arousing and ignites passion in heart and mind. For the gothic aspect, I felt there were just dark fantasies with burning desire. The stories are provocative and thought provoking while writing is descriptive and lyrical.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley.

I have never read anything by Maruis de Sade before.
Now I feel like a connoisseur of French literature, ready to grab a baguette and grab another classic! (I'm looking at you, l'entranger!) 👀

As a connoisseur of the peculiar and the provocative (if you know, you know), I found myself delightfully ensnared in the twisted narratives spun by the master of the macabre himself.

I mostly enjoyed "Eugenie de Franval", a demoralizing piece (a parable) about a person trying to do the right things that ultimately fails because of certain circumstances...

Most of the stories in the collection are moralistic, as the author or the introduction mentions. Unfortunately for some people, only a couple of the stories are what I would call erotic or arousing. De Sade intended to rather communicate all that he thought about human morality. So they are rather philosophic!

Most of them are heavily dramatic (and graphic!), so intriguing that modern day soap opera writers should be really jealous.

I think the description of " chilling short stories that straddle the line between horror and erotica" really pulled me into reading this. Whilst the first story Eugenie de Franval was incredibly interesting, the others fell flat for me. Brilliant writing but unfortunately it just wasn't for me in the topic or story.

Gothic Tales is a collection of short stories by the infamous Marquis de Sade, a man whose moral compass didn't appear to have a needle. Even today the subject matter of many,probably most,of these stories might be considered shocking by the average reader,as indeed they were by the Parisian courts,but they're certainly not without merit.

De Sade is a master story-teller and surprisingly philosophical. From the very short but stunning, "The Horse-Chestnut Flower" to "Emilie de Tourville", a torrid tale with more twists than Jeffery Deaver's last 5 books combined there's certainly a variety here.
The language at times does get somewhat "flowery" but it was written a few hundred years ago so is pretty much "of it's time".

Not for the narrow-minded,possibly not for the majority of the broad-minded either ,I'd suggest Googling the author before deciding if it's going to be for you or not.
De Sade can certainly write..and tell a tale,but please,please be aware that the subject matter of most of these stories will not be for everyone.

This was such a cool collection. Sade constantly was taking me for a spin, and when I thought I knew what was going to happen in the tales, it took me in another direction. I love gothic tales, and I like how Sade puts their own spin to it. The writing was engaging, and the stories were well-paced, allowing you to read them one at a time or continue throughout the book and read multiple at a time.