Why I Don’t Like de Sade

This may be a contentious view for some of my potential audience.

Yes, I am a submissive and see a domme for what can be quite intense D/s.  So what have I got against de Sade ?

It must be 30 years ago that I found de Sade’s 100 Days of Sodom being heavily promoted in the WH Smiths at Reading station, of all places.  There must have been some relaxation in the laws on obscene publications because I think this was promoted as ‘literature’ due to a 30 page essay by Simone de Beauvoir prefacing the book.

The pretentious twaddle of de Beauvoir almost put me off reading the book itself, but I persevered.  I got about 2/3 through the book before throwing it out as utterly boring and repetitive.  I never bothered with any of his other works.  I’m sure someone will tell me some works are a must read.  You’ll have to give a compelling reason.

Only recently, in filtering those impressions against my experiences since that time, have I come to understand my real beef with de Sade as expressed in that book.

He has no room for respect and dignity.  The victims are not willing participants.  There is initial consent by those hired for what they assumed was an extended sex party, but the activities soon go far beyond that and most of the participants are minors.  No one consents to the sexual abuse, the torture, the mutilation and death.  Of course, this is the point of the story by a psychopathic sadist.

I know de Sade provides inspiration to masochists as well as sadists.  However, I don’t think any of the victims in the book actually were masochists.  And if some were, we get back to the issue of consent.

Utter degradation, abuse and no limits are the stuff that I know some masochists fantasise over.  I’ve known a few sadists and I’m not saying it’s a representative sample, but the one thing they never forget is the ultimate care of the sub.  Respect and dignity are part of that care.

The image that now comes to mind when I think of 100 Days of Sodom is one of de Sade being an ancestor of Josef Fritzl by some 240 years and inviting his mates around to join in the abuse, torture and murder of his victims.

There, I think, is my problem with de Sade.