Imprisoned much of his adult life for both his rebellious conduct and his scandalous writing, the Marquis de Sade remains, almost two centuries after his death, a fascinating figure, a true rebel with a cause, one who de...Imprisoned much of his adult life for both his rebellious conduct and his scandalous writing, the Marquis de Sade remains, almost two centuries after his death, a fascinating figure, a true rebel with a cause, one who despite all attempts to suppress his works remains a vital and enduring influence. Here in one volume is a generous sample of his correspondence over a more than twenty-year period, from 1777, when he was first incarcerated in the vincennes fortress near Paris, to 1789, when he was transferred from the bastille, shortly before it was stormed at the outset of the French revolution, to the charenton asylum, from which he was finally freed on April 2 -- good friday -- 1790.