Film · 1999 · Directed by Roger Kumble · Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon
Two scheming stepsiblings at a New York private school make a wager about seducing a new girl who believes in love.
The film keeps the classic wager of the French novel but moves it to a modern American setting with teenage characters, a pop soundtrack and a much lighter, glossier tone.
Read the original letters to see the same intrigue played with real cruelty and elegance.
Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
A delicious, clever story told in letters, full of intrigue and style.
Who will like it: Readers who like witty, scheming letters and high-society games.