Elliot Tiber is the author of the (originally indie) “Taking Woodstock” and its new prequel, “Palm Trees on the Hudson: A True Story of the Mob, Judy Garland, and Interior Decorating”.  Check him out on NBC’s Non-Stop NY Chuck Scarborough Tonight

What is the name of the book?

Justine by Marquis de Sade

How old were you when you read it?

I was about 16 years old.

What character did you most identify with?

Justine

What was your favorite part?

The entire book pleased me, so I had no favorite part per se. It was my first introduction to sadomasochism at such an in-depth level.

Did you read it more than once?

Yes, I read it several times over a ten-year period.

Why/How did it affect you?

I had become fascinated with such a totally different view of life than the one provided me while growing up in my sheltered Brooklyn. It made me curious to read about other cultures, especially European ones, and it gave me a great sense of sexual adventure in life.

Did you pass it on to anyone?

Later on when I became a college lecturer, I often suggested it to my students.

If you could change places with a character of fiction for one day, who would it be?

The characters created by Woody Allen in his films, books, and plays, although he just writes/plays himself under different names.

What are you reading now?

Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly, Last Summer