The Sadeian Woman: An Exercise in Cultural History (Virago Modern Classics Book 79)

This is a brilliant book, and brilliantly fun to read. Carter analyzes the women in the work of the Marquis de Sade, gleaning remarkable insights into how women survive in a man's world (hint: virtue will get you nowhere). This book is everything that literary criticism should be—surprising, clever, and offering a new way to look at the world around you through the prism of unlikely heroines. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Ms. Carter was far ahead of her time -- this is at once a classic work but dead on current with contemporary thought and events in modern feminist thought. A must read for anyone interested in the politics of gender.

There is little in the way of analysis of Sade's thought in this book. As philosophy, or simply as nonfiction, the author presents ideas then contradicts them then rambles on to another topic. A good chunk of the book is about Hollywood movies.The premise is important. The execution is not. The writing style is pedestrian and the vocabulary is too limited.There's no Sade, no Sadeian woman, little exercise, and shallow cultural history. Surprisingly bad book from a usually very good writer.

Despite this book obviously being dated now it comes over as a fine essay series disjointed early on but Carter crossed boundaries here. The rebel in Angela Carter is ever present with no pulling of modern political correctness in her view of De Sade’s writings.The notion of “The Sadeian Woman” in Carter’s era can at times evolve into cliches to soften the impact but that’s ok. It is clear Angela Carter read De Sade in depth and her other works reflect an understanding of a contentious writer.Now that sadomasochist practices as well as thinking are more or less mainstream we can easily forget more censoriousness times. But Angela Carter broke ground in this book and did not fear the reaction it might provoke.For myself it is a nostalgic read as I first read it in a library in central London in 1980 when times were rough personally. To read it again decades later in a more comfortable setting is a fascinating experience.Thanks Angela Carter Rest in peace.

Carter has a singular gender-focused argument so everything she says, much of which is insightful, is caveated by her agenda, along with her class-defined societal context. Skim read it was fine; to read every word would have been deadly dull

good

very interesting portrayal

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