Different Loving or Perversion? Questions about D&S, B&D and S&M

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A. You are confusing Leopold von Sacher-Masoch with Marquis de Sade. The movie "Quills" was about the life of de Sade, whom the word Sadism is based on. The word masochist comes from the life of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who is the author of "Venus in Furs".

De Sade wrote sadistic novels and letters, some about the raping, torturing and even the murder of women. He was thrown into prison because the French society thought his works were decadent and dangerous. Leopold von Sacher-Masoch was a talented writer and his works were considered erotic but were never classified as pornographic, even in 1870 Europe. De Sade was classified as being insane whereas Sacher-Masoch was well respected, although his sexual desires were later classified as being perverted.