The Marquis de Sade (1740-1814) was a French aristocrat famous for his libertine lifestyle. He spent many years in various prisons and insane asylums. Sade's works are notorious for their combination of philosophical discourse and pornography.

When the immoral libertine Monsieur de Franval marries and fathers a daughter, he decides to inculcate in her a sense of absolute freedom, an unconventional education that involves the two becoming secret lovers. But Franval's virtuous, God-fearing wife becomes suspicious and confronts him, setting off a tragic chain of events.

Part of Sade's The Crimes of Love cycle, this shocking tale - which was among the writings banned for publication until the twentieth century - tests the limits of morality and portrays the disastrous consequences of freedom and pleasure.