The novel is structured around a series of increasingly brutal and perverse acts, which challenge the very fabric of societal norms. The narrative is presented as a collection of tales told by various storytellers, each one more outlandish and sadistic than the last.
"120 Days of Sodom" is a complex and multifaceted work that has been subject to various interpretations. Some see it as a critique of the excesses of the French aristocracy, while others view it as a exploration of the human psyche.
: Sade argues that nature is inherently destructive and that "evil" is merely a fulfillment of natural impulses. He explores the idea that absolute freedom requires the total rejection of morality and religious law.
Sade wrote the novel on a continuous roll of paper (a scroll) just 12 centimeters wide but over 12 meters long. Fearing his work would be seized, he hid the scroll inside a crack in his cell wall. When the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789, Sade had been transferred to an asylum days earlier. He assumed his manuscript had been destroyed. It was not discovered until 1904, and finally published in the early 20th century.
At its core, the novel explores the dark intersection of sovereignty and morality.