Parma Monastery

Author: Stendhal
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: Stendhal (1783-1842), a renowned French critic-realist writer of the 19th century, holds an important position in French literary history with his novels and literary critiques. The Charterhouse of Parma is a long novel published by Stendhal in 1839, following Armandes and The Red and the Black as the third of his major works. The Charterhouse of Parma is another significant long novel by Stendhal. The protagonist Fabrice, from a young age, wins the affection of his aunt; as a handsome young man, he attracts the admiration of many women. Returning from the Battle of Waterloo to Parma, he becomes a vice bishop and encounters an actress. Accidentally killing her lover, he is forced to flee to Bologna. In his boredom, he meets a female singer, Fausta, and embarks on a farcical affair of love, but none of these are true love. It is only after he is imprisoned and meets the daughter of the fortress commander, Clélie, that he transforms into a different person, weaving a heart-wrenching love story.