When, as a young man in postwar Paris, Octavio Paz first encountered the writings of the Marquis de Sade, his reaction was one of "astonishment and horror, curiosity and disgust, admiration and recognition." In an early poem and two subsequent essays written over a span of five decades, Paz pierces through the narrow image of Sade as pornographer and examines his work in the context of the paradox of human freedom and civilized man. He insists that Sade is worth reading, that the danger lies not in his books but in the passions of his readers.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I've read de Sade, and studied him in class at Harvard. Only NOW--after having read Paz--can I understand what was underneath all the "frigging" and "embuggering."
External structures that are often inflexible and ultimately produce ludicrous, harmful people & behaviors. This is what Sade was getting at.
Paz shows us that Sade can't be dismissed as an inept writer of pornography. There's oh! so much more going on.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5.0 out of 5 stars
2 reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Much more than Sade here ...
30 April 2006
By Lou Rappaport
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Revise here, in a few pages, your notion of the Marquis de Sade. Paz's growing comprehension of the depth of Sade's formulation of what is and is not "erotic" - Paz's 1947 poem, his 1960 essay on Sade's "ideas," and his 1986 essay that completes this progression of understanding - is only one joy in this slim volume. Paz's recollection of his conversation with Jean Paulhan at the Parc Montsouris, capturing the feel of Paris and that time, is worth the price of admission.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Illuminates the writings of de Sade!
22 Jan 1999
By A Customer
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I've read de Sade, and studied him in class at Harvard. Only NOW--after having read Paz--can I understand what was underneath all the "frigging" and "embuggering."
External structures that are often inflexible and ultimately produce ludicrous, harmful people & behaviors. This is what Sade was getting at.
Paz shows us that Sade can't be dismissed as an inept writer of pornography. There's oh! so much more going on.
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