Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, was born in 1740 in Paris, France. He was a member of the French nobility and was known for his extravagant lifestyle and interests in literature, philosophy, and politics. De Sade's life was marked by scandals, and his writings often explored themes of libertinism, hedonism, and the rejection of traditional morality.
The term "sadism" was coined from his name. This book serves as a clinical, albeit fictionalized, catalog of human paraphilias long before Freud or Krafft-Ebing.
"120 Days of Sodom" is considered a landmark work of erotic literature, influencing many writers and artists throughout history. Its themes and ideas have been both celebrated and criticized for their transgressive and subversive nature.
When the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789, Sade was freed but was swept away by the mob, leaving his manuscript behind. He believed it was lost forever and famously wept "tears of blood" over it. Miraculously, the parchment roll was found and preserved, but it would languish unpublished for over a century.
Finding a high-quality translation in Serbian, Croatian, or Bosnian can be challenging due to the archaic French terminology and the explicit nature of the text. Look for editions translated by established literary houses that preserve Sade’s philosophical monologues alongside the narrative.
