Pierre Laclos, Choderlos de

The complex moral ambiguities of seduction and revenge make Dangerous Liaisons one of the most scandalous and controversial novels in European literature. The subject of major film and stage adaptations, the novel's prime movers, the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil, form an unholy alliance and turn seduction into a game—a game which they must win.