Barnes & Noble Digital Library

 

Justine, Or the Misfortunes of Virtue by the Marquis de Sade was published in 1791 at the height of the French Revolution, in times as tumultuous as the story of its heroine. At the tender age of twelve, Justine and her elder sister Juliette are unexpectedly thrust into life on the streets of Paris. In order to survive, Juliette chooses to use her body to obtain the favors of powerful men, but Justine is determined to remain virtuous at all costs. Justine struggles to champion honor, decency, and honesty in a world ruled by corruption, betrayal, and crime. Sade''s narration of her plight ruthlessly describes the archetypal confrontation between vice and virtue, and the novel''s striking motifs are sadly still relevant today.