The Red and the Black
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The Red and the Black
Stendhal
Literature
James Mustich
Jul 31, 2018
In the pages of The Red and the Black we meet one of literature’s most memorable protagonists, Julien Sorel. The son of a sawmill owner, young Julien has Napoleonic dreams; handsome and clever, he has the gifts to pursue them. Recognizing that the path to glory for an ambitious youth in the France of the Bourbon Restoration runs through religious rather than martial channels, he dons the black robes of the clergy rather than the red uniform of the military. This decision reveals the scheming soul that animates Sorel’s every action, even in the sphere of love. Stendhal is particularly deft at capturing the tumult of lovers’ emotions, their prides and jealousies, anticipations and despairs. In fact, the psychological naturalism with which he depicts Julien’s conspiracy of one—his relentless opportunism in pursuing the unreachable triumphs he imagines are his due—undercuts the romantic sweep of the tale. Stendhal’s realistic style combines with his wry intelligence to treat all that falls into its purview—from the hypocrisy of the church to the petty posturing of both provincial and Parisian society—to a worldly assessment both sardonic and shrewd, making The Red and the Black a pleasure to both read and ponder.
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Eli
Jan 29
Must read!
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