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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher |
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THE CURSE OF THE MARQUIS DE SADE
A Notorious Scoundrel, a Mythical Manuscript, and the Biggest Scandal in Literary History
The captivating, deeply reported true story of how one of the most notorious novels ever written - Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom - landed at the heart of one of the biggest scams in modern literary history.
Police arrived on November 18th, 2014, at the imposing red doors of the Hôtel de la Salle in Paris, a mansion previously owned by dukes and duchesses. They were there to arrest its current owner, Gérard Lhéritier, the self-made son of a plumber turned King of the Manuscripts market. His collection, which formed the foundation for the upstart investment scheme he created, was not only one of the largest assortments of handwritten documents in the world, it also included historically significant pieces like Napoléon's love notes, André Breton's Surrealist Manifesto, and the last will and testament of Louis the Sixteenth. But Lhéritier's crown jewel was 120 Days of Sodom, an emblem of literary erotica, containing 157,000 words written on a fraying parchment scroll in a prison cell by the Marquis de Sade in 1785. The police were there to arrest the "King of Manuscripts" because they believed he had duped thousands of clients out of a billion euros by convincing them to invest in rare manuscripts while falsifying their true values. And if it were true, this would make him responsible for the largest Ponzi scheme in French history, earning Lhéritier a new nickname: France's Bernie Madoff.
Joel Warner's THE CURSE OF THE MARQUIS weaves together two extraordinary narratives, neither of which have ever been told in full form: the spectacular rise and fall of the "King of Manuscripts" and the sweeping odyssey of 120 Days of Sodom, a single scroll of parchment covered with words so tiny they're nearly illegible, but content so vile, it's been banned in several countries. Lost for a century, smuggled across Europe, stolen, and fought over in court, Lhéritier purchased 120 Days of Sodom for 7 million, making it one of the most valuable manuscripts in the world. It's been called "the gospel of evil" and also "one of the most important novels ever written." But most readers can't even stomach finishing it.
Joel Warner is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Esquire, Wired, Newsweek, Men's Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Popular Science, and Slate, among others. He currently serves as managing editor of the investigative news outlet The Lever and previously worked as a staff writer at International Business Times and Westword. He is also co-author of The Humor Code. He lives with his family in Denver, Colorado.
Joel Warner's THE CURSE OF THE MARQUIS weaves together two extraordinary narratives, neither of which have ever been told in full form: the spectacular rise and fall of the "King of Manuscripts" and the sweeping odyssey of 120 Days of Sodom, a single scroll of parchment covered with words so tiny they're nearly illegible, but content so vile, it's been banned in several countries. Lost for a century, smuggled across Europe, stolen, and fought over in court, Lhéritier purchased 120 Days of Sodom for 7 million, making it one of the most valuable manuscripts in the world. It's been called "the gospel of evil" and also "one of the most important novels ever written." But most readers can't even stomach finishing it.
Joel Warner is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Esquire, Wired, Newsweek, Men's Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, Popular Science, and Slate, among others. He currently serves as managing editor of the investigative news outlet The Lever and previously worked as a staff writer at International Business Times and Westword. He is also co-author of The Humor Code. He lives with his family in Denver, Colorado.
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Published 2023-02-21 by Crown |