This rich, titillating translation of the famous French novel Crimes of Passion loses none of its original flavor. The Marquis de Sade's tales are ripe with seduction, passion, and ultimate tragedy as his characters quest for love but find only its crimes. Sade not only grips the reader with his tales of sex, murder, and intrigue but also confronts them with his own views about society and human nature. This concise volume is a great introduction to the Marquis de Sade's ambitious oeuvre. The Marquis de Sade is the most infamous writer of French literature due to his lascivious tales ahead of their times in themes, descriptions, and ideas. Some have hailed him as the "freest spirit" as there is no boundary he will not transgress with his essays, tales, and fictions. Born in Paris and raised in Avignon, the Marquis de Sade's literature was rife with sex, as was his own life. At one point he was declared a mortal threat to prostitutes and charged with murder. He escaped to Italy, but was later incarcerated in the famous Bastille prison in Paris. It was there he wrote most of his works, including plays, essays, and novels.