Red and Black

Author: (French) Stendhal
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: An obscure government clerk, with no foothold in the literary world during his lifetime, achieved a status in literary history almost on par with Balzac solely through two or three novels, more precisely, mainly through The Red and the Black. Isn’t this fact itself worth our serious exploration? The book is divided into two volumes, with detailed content including: a small town, the mayor, the poor man’s property, father and son, negotiations, distress, being head over heels in love, the chaos of worldly affairs, the night in the countryside, big dreams for a poor man, a fine night like this, an outing, the floral socks, the English shears, the crowing of a rooster, the next day, the deputy mayor, arriving in Verrières for the fifth time, healing from grief, anonymous letters, a conversation with the head of the household, the ways of 1830, the worries of being in office, corruption, the seminary, the world or what the rich lack, the first experience in ruling the country, the Eucharist, the first promotion, ambition, and more. This is a famous masterpiece with illustrations. Through the representative of French petty bourgeoisie Julien Sorel, who relies on his own wit to rise in the ranks of the French aristocracy, the book depicts his interactions with the upper echelons of society to achieve his dreams, but ultimately, he is sent to the guillotine. The writing is delicate, with masterful psychological descriptions, reflecting a side of French society at the time.