the grotesque and vile

If there is one thing I can appreciate about de Sade, it's his dedication to making his villains truly villainous. Quite a few years ago, I came across his work titled 'Idea on Novels', and a particular quote that I will never forget is "woe to those who strew vice with flowers!". This quote came from his discussion on villains in 'contemporary' novels, and how the intentions of these authors who make their villains seem virtuous (that is, appear to have virtuous qualities) are worse than his own for their readers. In an age where sexual violence, obsession, stalking, coercive control and domestic violence can be marketed as 'dark romance', I cannot help but appreciate his grotesque display of evil. And who knows, perhaps one day when one walks through the dark romance aisle, they'll see 120 days of sodom sitting comfortably on the shelf...