Red and Black

Author: Stendhal
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: World Classic Literature Series. Julien is the son of a sawmill owner and deeply admires Napoleon. At the age of 17, he is hired as a tutor by the mayor. There, he falls in love with the mayor's wife. Later, due to his outstanding talent, he becomes the secretary and confidant of the marquis. Julien's personality attracts the marquis's daughter, and as he begins to rise to prominence through this connection, an anonymous letter shatters his dreams—it was forced out of the mayor's wife. Julien shoots and wounds the mayor's wife in a church and is sentenced to death. It is only then that he realizes he has been tricked by the nobility, but he refuses to compromise and faces his execution with composure. Julien is one of the most successful and charming artistic figures in the history of world literature, with distinct characteristics of his era and rich personality traits. Stendhal (1799–1850) was a French novelist, and The Red and the Black is his masterpiece. His novels are profound and delicate, with vivid characters and concise, precise language, earning him the title of "Father of Modern Fiction."