born Oct. 18, 1741, Amiens, France
died Nov. 5, 1803, Taranto, Parthenopean Republic
French writer.
He chose an army career but soon left it to become a writer. He is chiefly remembered for Dangerous Liasions (1782), one of the earliest psychological novels. The epistolary novel of a noble seducer and his female accomplice who take unscrupulous delight in their victims' misery, it caused an immediate sensation and was banned for years. Laclos later returned to the army and ultimately rose to the rank of general under Napoleon. His book retained its popularity into the 21st century, by which time it had been adapted several times, for film and for television.