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Novel "Les Liaisons dangereuses" (Dangerous Liaisons) by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos is published by Durand Neveu

Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on 23 March 1782.

Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on 23 March 1782. It was initially translated into English in 1812 and has since been widely recognized as one of the most important early French novels.. It is also considered one of the earliest and most famous examples of a roman à clef, written by Laclos as a thinly disguised takedown of the French aristocracy.

It is the story of the Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil and the Vicomte Sébastien de Valmont, two amoral lovers-turned-rivals who amuse themselves by ruining others and who ultimately destroy each other.

It has been seen as depicting the corruption and depravity of the French nobility shortly before the French Revolution, and thereby attacking the...

Historical Significance

Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on 23 March 1782.

Events Before

  1. British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia

    The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.

  2. William Herschel sees what he thinks is a "comet" but actually discovers the planet Uranus

    Frederick William Herschel was a German-British astronomer and composer. He frequently collaborated with his younger sister and fellow astronomer Caroline Herschel.

  3. Los Angeles is founded by 44 Spanish-speaking mestizos in the Bahía de las Fumas (Bay of Smokes)

    Los Angeles is founded by 44 Spanish-speaking mestizos in the Bahía de las Fumas (Bay of Smokes)

  4. A French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeats British forces under Admiral Thomas Graves and Samuel Hood at t

    A French fleet of 24 ships under Comte de Grasse defeats British forces under Admiral Thomas Graves and Samuel Hood at the Battle of the Chesapeake (Battle of the Virginia Capes) and traps General Lord Charles Cornwallis during the American Revolutionary War

  5. 9,000 American and 7,000 French troops begin the Siege of Yorktown

    The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown and the surrender at Yorktown, was the final major land engagement of the American Revolutionary War.

Events After

  1. Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han

    Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831

  2. USS Alliance, under Captain Barry, fights and wins the final naval battle of the American Revolutionary War off Cape Can

    USS Alliance, under Captain Barry, fights and wins the final naval battle of the American Revolutionary War off Cape Canaveral

  3. In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asks his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy

    In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asks his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy, preventing the threatened coup d'état

  4. Hostilities formally cease in the American Revolutionary War after the Continental Congress proclaims the "Cessation of

    Hostilities formally cease in the American Revolutionary War after the Continental Congress proclaims the "Cessation of Arms" against His Britannic Majesty [1]

  5. George Washington issues General Orders announcing the end of hostilities with Britain in the American Revolutionary War

    George Washington issues General Orders announcing the end of hostilities with Britain in the American Revolutionary War, giving thanks to the Almighty, offering congratulations, and authorizing an extra ration of alcohol to the troops to celebrate [1]

More from the 1780s

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831

British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia

The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on March 23, 1782?
Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on 23 March 1782. It was initially translated into English in 1812 and has since been widely recognized as one of the most important early French novels.. It is also considered one of the earliest and most famous examples of a roman à clef, written by Laclos as a thinly disguised takedown of the French aristocracy.
Why is Novel "Les Liaisons dangereuses" (Dangerous Liaisons) by Pierre Choderlos de ... significant?
Les Liaisons dangereuses is a French epistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, first published in four volumes by Durand Neveu on 23 March 1782.

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March 23 in HistoryYear 1782