No one escapes the satirical power of Sade’s pen – young or old, virtuous or corrupt, rich or poor – although his narratives are dominated by certain types, especially bankers, clergy, judges, aristocrats and prostitutes.
But they were penned behind bars and are the products of an incarcerated imagination – not accounts of his personal life and crimes. Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue (1791), Philosophy in the Bedroom (1795), The New Justine (an extended version of Justine published in 1797) followed by the Story of Juliette, Her Sister (1797) and The 120 Days of Sodom, or the School of Libertinage (1785) – these are the works that led Napoleon Bonaparte to call Sade an author of “abominable” books and to have a “depraved imagination”. So what happened between his lifetime and ours to change his profile so radically? Here are five things we should all know about the Marquis de Sade. His work remained censored throughout the 19th century and most of the 20th – but in 2017 the French State declared his 120 Days of Sodom (1785), written in the Bastille on a 12-metre scroll, to be a “national treasure”. Momentarily freed under the French Revolution, he became “Citizen Sade”, participating in some of the key political events of the era, only to see his works seized, destroyed and banned under Napoleon Bonaparte. He managed to avoid the death sentence but still spent 32 years in prisons and insane asylums, partly due to the intervention of family members who kept him locked up to avoid disgrace. During his lifetime, Sade was found guilty of sodomy, rape, torturing the 36-year-old beggar woman Rose Keller, imprisoning six children in his chateau at Lacoste, and poisoning five prostitutes with the aphrodisiac “Spanish fly”. On the one hand, his name is associated with the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille, on the other, with rape, sexual terror and torture. Two centuries after his death, Sade (1740-1814) remains a figure of controversy. So, was Sade a pornographer or a philosopher – and why does his name continue to cause such heated debate?
His novels inspired the term “sadist” - “a person who derives pleasure, especially sexual gratification, from inflicting pain or humiliation on others” – and yet, in 2017, France declared his work a “ national treasure”. After all, she took 10 years between “Lovers Rock” and “Soldier of Love,” and eight years between “Love Deluxe” and “Lovers Rock.”Ĭlearly, she likes to take her sweet time, and if anyone is allowed to move at her own chill pace amidst all the stresses of the world, it’s Sade.Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, was a bestselling author in his day and yet he spent most of his life behind bars. Of course, it would be sweet to have some new Sade music after all these years, so let’s keep hope alive. There’s “I Will Be Your Friend” and “Sally” on “Diamond Life,” “Jezebel” and “Fear” on “Promise,” “Haunt Me” and “Keep Looking” on “Stronger Than Pride,” “I Couldn’t Love You More” and “Pearls” on “Love Deluxe.” There are songs like these on every Sade album that are like Xanax for the soul and spirit. Sade Redfernsīeyond the hits - which have aged like a fine Bordeaux - digging into the deep cuts from 1984’s “Diamond Life,” 1985’s “Promise,” 1988’s “Stronger Than Pride,” 1992’s “Love Deluxe,” 2000’s “Lovers Rock” and “Soldier of Love” has been a soothing escape from the walls I’ve been climbing - and the craziness that’s been lurking all around. How else to explain how she has wrapped me up in her tender, tranquilizing embrace when I desperately needed a hug - but social distancing was blocking any of that madness. Now, with the arrival of “This Far” - a career-spanning vinyl box set of all six of Sade’s studio albums - she is, to quote “Your Love Is King,” the ruler of my heart. It’s been 10 years since Sade Adu - who doesn’t need a last name any more than Cher, Bono or Prince - released her last album with her namesake band, 2010’s Grammy-winning “Soldier of Love.” But the sultry soul-pop siren behind such timeless torchiness as “Paradise,” “The Sweetest Taboo” and “No Ordinary Love” has been my smooth comforter during the quarantine. My childhood brush with Sylvester Stallone as a 'Rocky II' extraĪretha may be the Queen of Soul, Madonna may be the Queen of Pop, Chaka may be the Queen of Funk and Dolly may be the Queen of Country.īut now I’m crowning Sade with her own royal title: Bow down to the Queen of Quarantine and Chill. Jonas Brothers on Broadway: 'We never thought we would get here' Missy Elliott, George Michael and Willie Nelson among 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Tina Turner showed us that black women could rock Taylor Swift rocks rowdy MetLife with hottest ticket of the 'Cruel Summer' season
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