From the back cover of this paperback edition: Justine, the most celebrated of the novels of the Marquis de Sade, was written in three versions. This translation was taken from the first version and unlike the other two (it) is a gem of 18th century literature.
Summary
This work is the most celebrated of the novels of the Marquis de Sade. Execrated by de Sade's contemporaries, it is a novel of depth and psychological insight. It tells the tale of the virtuous Justine, who, forced to make her way in the world suffers frightful humiliations.