Choderlos De Laclos

About the Author

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, an 18th-century French aristocrat, soldier, and writer, is best remembered for his provocative epistolary novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses, published in 1782. Born in 1741 in Amiens, Laclos pursued a military career while harboring a deep interest in literature and social reform. His masterpiece, a scandalous exploration of seduction, manipulation, and moral decay among the French nobility, drew from his observations of high society and Enlightenment ideals. Though he authored only this one significant work of fiction, its enduring influence on literature, theater, and film underscores Laclos's sharp wit and psychological insight. He died in 1803, leaving a legacy that critiques the hypocrisies of his era with unflinching precision.