Fini: Les Liaisons Dangereuses (de Laclos). Un livre sur deux personnes méprisables qui ruinent la vie des autres pour le sport. The despicable people in question...the Vicomte de Valmonte and the Marquise de Merteuil. Former lovers, they hatch many schemes of seducing and ruining the lives of family members of those people they want revenge against, and in some cases, just want to make sport of. In the Vicomte's case, he seduces the 15 year old, Cecile Volanges, innocent daughter of a woman he is mad at. And, the scheme is actually concocted by the Marquise, while she pretends to be a friend and mentor to the young girl. Meanwhile, the Vicomte, who is a notorious, home-wrecking, womanizing, soulless rake, is also in the midst of seducing Madame de Tourvel, the pious, prim, faithful, beautiful young wife of a man who is unfortunately out of town for several months. All told in a series of letters back and forth (much like the novel Clarissa was told), the heartless people succeed in all their attempted seductions, resulting in tragedy for all, and death from humiliation and a broken heart for the poor Madame de Tourvel after Valmonte mercilessly dumps her with a cruel letter after a couple of weeks of sex. When, the Chevalier Danceny, the beloved suitor of Cecile Volanges finds out about the betrayal of his "friend" the Vicomte, and the debauchery he has led the innocent Cecile to, Danceny calls out Valmonte for a duel and fortunately kills him. I was happy to see this horrid character meet his demise. Also in the end, when her true nature is revealed, the Marquise de Merteuil is shunned by all of her society friends and ends up surviving a bout of smallpox with horrific facial scaring and the loss of an eye. Her appearance prompts a former friend to comment that her ugly inner self is showing itself on the outside now. In all, the book held my interest in that I was hoping that the innocents like Cecile and Madame de Tourvel would somehow persevere and come out ok in the end....and...that the Marquise and the Vicomte would get their comeuppance. Does this book belong on the Top 100 list which is the only reason I read it? Nahhhh, I don't think so.