The Curse of the Marquis de Sade

Fans of John Carreyrou's Bad Blood or Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiedeman will probably enjoy the final thread of The Curse of the Marquis de Sade. . . . Warner excels at explaining Lheritier's complex-and possibly criminal - business operations in easy-to-understand language. And his depiction of France's lively rare-manuscript community is a fascinating look at a largely hidden subculture. -Washington Post Lively. . . . Aristophil's downfall reads like the best kind of business thriller. . . . Warner writes like a man having fun with his subject. -The Times Warner's research and extensive interviews help him shuttle across centuries to depict remarkable characters. . . . Warner doesn't let infamy flatten Sade's dimensions. -New York Times Book Review A fascinating literary scandal. . . . a strange and fantastical journey involving a level of criminality that rivaled the life of Sade himself. -Slate Fascinating. -Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star Dazzling. . . . Warner's story is a tightly woven braid of three connected themes: a history of the racier aspects of European bibliophilia, a morality tale about rapacity in the art world of recent history, and, finally, the life, work and changing reputation of Sade himself. -The Telegraph Compelling. . . . So rich in detail. . . . Obviously meticulously researched. -The Colorado Sun Illuminating. . . . The wealth of detail never slows Warner's well-paced narrative. Literary history buffs will want to check this out. -Publishers Weekly An engrossing history of the travels of a notorious manuscript across nations and centuries -Kirkus Reviews Joel Warner has written the best kind of history, making the past seem present with wonderful and outrageous characters, a story that jumps propulsively between eras, and a lively exploration of hidden worlds. -Benjamin Wallace, New York Times bestselling author of The Billionaire's Vinegar Joel Warner has written a juicy literary thriller with outstanding characters, ranging from the original sadist to French smuggles to obsessed dermatologists. Reading this book sort of felt like reading a Dan Brown novel-but one where the history is true. -A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzler Warner's staggering eye for detail, dazzling connections, encyclopedic historical knowledge and research, and considerate storytelling make The Curse of the Marquis de Sade a tour de force for literature lovers, admirers of the absurd, and anyone who enjoys a great scandal (or many). This book is nothing short of brilliant, and I devoured it whole. -Erika Krouse, author of Tell Me Everything Joel Warner has gifted us a vividly imagined, dazzlingly researched, high-literary detective story. -Adam Bradley, New York Times bestselling co-author of One Day It'll All Make Sense On the surface, this is a remarkable true story about a most controversial and bizarre work of literature, an epic, picaresque true tale that spans centuries. But it's also a nonfiction allegory about we humans and what and why and how we choose to value . . . stuff. -Maximillian Potter, author of Shadows in the Vineyard