
An early work by the Marquis de Sade, "Justine, Or, The Misfortunes of Virtue" was originally written during a two week period in 1787 while the author was imprisoned in the Bastille. The story is concerned with the titular character, a twelve year old maiden who sets off, to make her way in France, and follows her through age twenty-six in her quest for virtue. In the search for work and shelter Justine continuously falls prey to a series of scoundrels who subject her to sexual torture and abuse. Having been numerously revised by the author and published in varying censored and unexpurgated editions there exists no definitive edition of this work. Presented here in this volume is the expurgated edition originally published by the Risus Press in 1931. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle. His works include novels, short stories, plays, and political tracts; in his lifetime some were published under his own name, while others appeared anonymously and Sade denied being their author. He is best known for his erotic novels, which combined philosophical discourse with pornography, depicting bizarre sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, criminality, and blasphemy against the Catholic Church. He was a proponent of extreme freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion or law. Sade was incarcerated in various prisons and in an insane asylum for about 32 years of his life; eleven years in Paris (10 of which were spent in the Bastille) a month in Conciergerie, two years in a fortress, a year in Madelonnettes, three years in Bicêtre, a year in Sainte-Pélagie, and 13 years in the Charenton asylum. Many of his works were written in prison. The term "sadism" is derived from his name. ([Source][1]) [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_de_Sade

An early work by the Marquis de Sade, "Justine, Or, The Misfortunes of Virtue" was originally written during a two week period in 1787 while the author was imprisoned in the Bastille. The story is concerned with the titular character, a twelve year old maiden who sets off, to make her way in France, and follows her through age twenty-six in her quest for virtue. In the search for work and shelter Justine continuously falls prey to a series of scoundrels who subject her to sexual torture and abuse. Having been numerously revised by the author and published in varying censored and unexpurgated editions there exists no definitive edition of this work. Presented here in this volume is the expurgated edition originally published by the Risus Press in 1931. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle. His works include novels, short stories, plays, and political tracts; in his lifetime some were published under his own name, while others appeared anonymously and Sade denied being their author. He is best known for his erotic novels, which combined philosophical discourse with pornography, depicting bizarre sexual fantasies with an emphasis on violence, criminality, and blasphemy against the Catholic Church. He was a proponent of extreme freedom, unrestrained by morality, religion or law. Sade was incarcerated in various prisons and in an insane asylum for about 32 years of his life; eleven years in Paris (10 of which were spent in the Bastille) a month in Conciergerie, two years in a fortress, a year in Madelonnettes, three years in Bicêtre, a year in Sainte-Pélagie, and 13 years in the Charenton asylum. Many of his works were written in prison. The term "sadism" is derived from his name. ([Source][1]) [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marquis_de_Sade