Fifty Shades of Grey is the current hot novel of a sado-masochistic sexual predator and his prey, but do not think for a moment that there is anything new about this steamy tale of dominance, submission and matters of the heart. You could draw a direct line between E.L. James’ contemporary best seller and Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a similar yarn of malice and deceit that curled … [Read more...]
‘Liaisons’: Fifty shades of sex, power and betrayal
In 1782, French novelist Pierre Choderlos de Laclos wrote Les Liaisons Dangereuses, a nasty tale of sex, lies and belles lettres, which became an instant best seller. You could call it the Fifty Shades of Grey of its day. In 1985, Christopher Hampton adapted the tale of Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, former lovers who embark on a mutual challenge of seduction … [Read more...]