Title: The Red and the Black

Author: Stendhal

Genre: Classic

Publisher: Modern Library

Format: Paperback

Pages: 560

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis:

The Red and the Black, Stendhal’s masterpiece, is the story of Julien Sorel, a young dreamer from the provinces, fueled by Napoleonic ideals, whose desire to make his fortune sets in motion events both mesmerizing and tragic. Sorel’s quest to find himself, and the doomed love he encounters along the way, are delineated with an unprecedented psychological depth and realism. At the same time, Stendhal weaves together the social life and fraught political intrigues of post–Napoleonic France, bringing that world to unforgettable, full-color life. His portrait of Julien and early-nineteenth-century France remains an unsurpassed creation, one that brilliantly anticipates modern literature.

Neglected during its time, The Red and the Black has assumed its rightful place as one of the world’s great books, and Burton Raffel’s extraordinary new translation, coupled with an enlightening Introduction by Diane Johnson, helps it shine more brightly than ever before.

Review:

This classic hooked me from start to finish!

The book is about Julian Sorel, who is the son of a carpenter in France around 1830. The story follows Julien’s attempts at social climbing, including having an affair with a married woman, and then the daughter of his employer. He is a young scholar who believes he should go into the church, but his bright mind gets him a job as a secretary to a Marquis! He has a brilliant memory, and can memorize and recite anything, including the Bible. He learns many lessons throughout the book, including what true love is, and what society is truly like from the top. He is disgusted by the vanity of the upper class. This brings in thoughts of post-revolutionary France, and how there were still revolutionaries and monarchists. Some in France were still considered jacobins, which are the radical revolutionaries!! I love that the book was written during the time period, and is thought to be written after a real life criminal case that happens a few years prior! If you enjoy reading Hugo, then you will love this book and I definitely recommend it!