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March 13, 2005
Justine
Larger and more hideous than real life, this 200-year-old porno paperback got on my shelf a long time ago. My French instructor at summer school in Dijon years ago, Olivier, studied de Sade's life and work. I probably bought Justine for 10 francs and found it difficult to read. I still find it baroque. A strange book to read now almost simultaneously with Richard Dawkins's.
What I didn't realize then was how much time de Sade spent in prison. He was even in Miolans, where we took the children. From a certain angle Justine looks like the prison we build for ourselves. The only ones claiming to be free are those who choose a role in the prison.
Posted by Mark at March 13, 2005 07:43 AM