Dangerous Liaisons

Dangerous Liaisons is an epistolary novel (i.e., a story told through a series of letters) first published in 1782, seven years before the start of the French Revolution, by Pierre-Ambroise-François Choderlos de Laclos. The story revolves around the scheming and manipulative activities of two aristocrats, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont. They take pleasure in seducing and ruining the reputations of others, using their wit and charm to manipulate those around them. The novel explores themes of love, power, sexuality, and morality. The novel has been adapted into numerous films, such as the 1988 film of the same name starring John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Glenn Close. The novel has also been adapted into many plays and operas.

This guide uses the 2007 Penguin Classics edition, translated by Helen Constantine.

Content Warning: The source material contains allusions to sexual assaults, death by suicide, and a miscarriage.

Plot Summary

The novel opens with a series of letters between the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, discussing their latest conquests and scheming to further their own reputations. Merteuil wishes to avenge herself of a past slight received from the Comte de Gercourt, who is engaged to Madame de Volanges’s 15-year-old daughter, Cécile. She wants Valmont to seduce her, thereby ruining Gercourt’s virgin bride-to-be. Valmont does not wish to do this. He sees very little in it for himself; furthermore, he is already in a game of seduction with his aunt’s, Madame de Rosemonde’s, guest the Présidente de Tourvel. She is famous for her staunch virtue, which he wishes to break.

Merteuil quickly finds another route to get at Cécile when the girl becomes infatuated with her music instructor, the Chevalier Danceny, who falls passionately in love with her, too. Merteuil and Valmont then join together to help Danceny sleep with Cécile. Valmont’s help, however, comes with a price: If he helps Merteuil and succeeds in seducing Tourvel, then Merteuil must agree to resume intimate relations with him (they are former lovers).

Valmont uses the strategy of the penitent man, declaring to Tourvel that not only has he changed his womanizing ways, but he has finally learned what true love means because he has met her. Merteuil becomes Cécile’s closest confidante and educates her in libertine ways. She also grows closer to Danceny. Merteuil arranges for their love affair to be discovered, which brings Valmont in closer to both Cécile and Danceny. He acts as a mediator for the two love-stricken youths. Nevertheless, his main focus is on Tourvel, which is painstakingly slow—Tourvel fights against his advances as no woman has ever done before.

Eventually, it appears that his seduction is going poorly, and so is the one between Danceny and Cécile, so Valmont intervenes and takes Cécile as a lover. He arranges things so that he has access to her room, and one night, enters and is intimate with her. At first, Cécile is ashamed and frightened of what happened, but Merteuil’s coaching teaches the girl to enjoy the physical pleasures Valmont offers while remaining in love with Danceny.

Things progress rather rapidly thereafter. Cécile becomes pregnant but has a miscarriage after a fall. Merteuil takes Danceny on as a lover, and Valmont’s feelings for Tourvel become ambiguous. Merteuil is convinced he has truly fallen in love with her, though he continues to deny it. Nevertheless, Valmont is finally able to break all of Tourvel’s emotional and physical defenses against his love, and she gives in to him. Not only do they sleep together, but Tourvel falls deeply in love with him, living only for his love.

The strain of the seductions, the competing egos, and the contradictory desires of Merteuil and Valmont come to a head with the former’s refusal to restart their love affair. The two then become embroiled in a war to ruin each other. All the secrets come to light. Danceny discovers, with Merteuil’s help, what Valmont did with Cécile and challenges him to a duel, wherein Valmont is killed.

However, before his death, Valmont arranged for all of Merteuil’s letters to pass on to Danceny, who discovers Merteuil’s role in everything. Merteuil’s reputation is completely ruined. She loses her court case, which has been a constant concern for her throughout the novel, and is left bankrupt. Not only that, but she also contracts smallpox, which leaves her scarred and unattractive. She flees to Holland. Danceny leaves for Malta to join the Order there. Cécile retires to her old convent and becomes a nun.