Incest (Hesperus Classics)
by marquis de Sade
Category: Fiction

Incest is a chilling tale of sexual experimentation and philosophical exploration carried to its most logical—and devastating—extreme. Foreword by Janet Street–Porter. Marquis de Sade’s semi–autobiographical protagonist, Monsieur de Franval, is rich, handsome, intelligent, and thoroughly immoral. When he marries a pious woman and fathers a daughter, he is determined to educate his progeny to be “free.” The ultimate proof of his daughter’s unfettered liberty? That she become his secret lover. But when the beautiful and accomplished Eug&#eacute;nie spurns an eligible young bachelor, instead declaring her intention to remain with her father, her naïve and doting mother’s suspicions are at last aroused. Confused and distressed by her daughter’s behavior, Madame de Franval confronts her husband—with tragic results. A challenging and breathtaking masterpiece, Incest is a sober portrait of catastrophe in the midst of excess. French author Marquis de Sade (1740–1814) is best known for his licentious novels and pornographic writings, many of which were penned during his frequent stays in prison and, ultimately, a mental asylum.