The notorious author of pornographic novels, a sexual pervert who spent much of his life in prison and whose name was unmentionable in civilized circles. Only in recent times has the Marquis come to be seen as misunderstood; essentially a moralist, his exploration of the so-called dark side of the human psyche remains as relevant to our society as it was to his own. Gothic Tales will provide an excellent introduction to Sade’s fiction; these accessible stories range from the dramatic novella Eugenie de Franval, in which a father’s criminal passion for his daughter leads to intrigue, abduction and murder, to comic tales such as The Husband Who Plays Priest, concerning a lecherous monk who finds an ingenious way to combine clerical duties with secular pleasures. Sade’s gift as a humorist are much in evidence, as is his particular delight in unusual marital situations - which invariably lead to the most diverting conclusions…