120 Days of Sodom

Written by Marquis de Sade

Narrated by Paul Spera

The 120 Days of Sodom is "the most impure tale that has ever been told since our world began". It was written by the Marquis de Sade, in the space of 37 days, while imprisoned in the Bastille. Fearing confiscation, he had to write it on a continuous roll of paper, made up of small pieces glued together, and to hide it inside a dildo. The original manuscript is now on display in Paris, and is the third most expensive kept in France, insured for 12 million euros.
Four unbelievably wealthy aristocrats lock themselves in a remote medieval castle, along with forty-two victims and accomplices. Ensues the often unbearable description of six hundred perversions, often applied to a victim while the narrator speaks; tales of torture, anal rape, coprophilia, paedophilia, in an obscene gradation that culminates in slaughter. This unfinished novel is a testimony to how dark the human soul can become when pushed to its limits; it transcends pornography, and no reader can emerge from it unscathed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Astorg Audio
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9782821108103

Marquis de Sade

Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (1740-1814) was a French writer and libertine, known for his transgressive yet philosophical works in an astonishing range of genres. Born to great privilege in pre-revolutionary France, he spent much of his life imprisoned for both his scandalous behaviour and his shocking literary output. The acts of depravity he described in works which challenged social convention, such as Justine, Juliette, and The 120 Days of Sodom, gave birth to the word 'sadism' and earned him a place among the select group of authors to inspire an adjective.

Reviews for 120 Days of Sodom

[Frankie Blankenship · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This audio version is incomplete - it stops at the end of the 3rd day.

[Jack · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The narration was spot on and very easy to listen to... as to the quality of the literature, I’m not sure where to begin.

The first and last thing that you must understand is that these acts described are tortures against children, performed without remorse. There is nothing erotic or philosophical about it.

This is a piece written about base minds who enjoy using their power to break laws and lives. The descriptions are not vague or interesting, but give a glimpse into the heart of corruption in the upper echelons of society. The four lords in this tale are pedophiles. They enjoy anything consistent with doing “evil” according to their society of the time. The author writes about sex like a disciple of a military academy, which is reflective of his own educational experiences. There is a little too much importance placed on defecating in a Catholic chapel and on depraved little monks to make sense in today’s metropolitan society. This is not a work of porn or erotica. It fails to even attempt to create tension or anticipation of the next twist in the story, hence it is rife with predictable outcomes. It’s also not a work of philosophical importance. The reasoning is weak, as if written by a chimpanzee. I believe the interest in this work is more because it was a banned piece of writing, and heavily sought in a world of free speech and free thinkers. Now that I’ve read it, it’s pathetic how many idiots find it worth discussing. This is more like a long description of poop and pee written by a nine year old, with a large vocabulary; who has the main goal of shocking his Christian school teachers. That said, it would be a good read to glimpse into the minds of Jeffery Epstein and his party friends. If there is anything redeeming, it might be in the strength of the words written by the female storyteller about her own sexual journey in a man’s world of prejudice and subjugation.

[Stephen Daniel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

nasty, vile, wicked, perverse, corrupt, disgusting, maddening, gross, abusive, wretched

[Jack · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A disgusting and vile book by a horrible and evil man. Read at your own caution