The Red and the Black (Modern Library Classics)

If there was ever a book that described the sterility and boredom of social hierarchies in such vivid, psychological terms it has to be this one. Through the character of Julien Sorel, the "self-made social climber," Stendhal has described the social interactions not only of his time but also of today: in capturing what could best be called the temptation to hypocrisy, and its consequent diminution of the human intellect. Julien's thirst to fit in to French society was supposed to be assisted by the Church, but his inexperience in the manners and dialog of the supercilious posers he confronted caused him to drop his guard at times. As a consequence he revealed who he truly was, at least what remnants are left of his individuality after he engaged in the self-imposed lobotomy throughout the book. This lobotomy is to be contrasted with the one he experiences at the end of the book: Julien does not perceive the first at all, but clearly knows the consequences of the second.But many today share his lack of perception in this regard, namely his belief that indulgence in hypocrisy will have no personal or cognitive consequences. In addition, there is the dominant belief among such individuals that deception or play-acting is more effective than personal integrity and respect for truth. Being true to oneself is considered naïve or even stupid, and those who do so it is believed will not be able to compete with those who do not. The latter class of people will hold the "power" with the former class always being subservient to them. This seems to be a widespread belief, even though there is not one shred of evidence for its support.Julien Sorel is thus a good surrogate for the social copycats in contemporary times. They are a pathetic lot, more concerned with style than with substance, and more concerned with paying lip service than with substantive communication. They are certainly experts at repetition, of the Mathildean fawning shrewdness, of saying little and doing little. The more falsehoods they speak, the more pleased they are, and they have mastered the art of snobbery. Indeed, their lives are dependent on public performance, they show no originality or any penchant whatsoever for innovation, and their normal state of mind is one of nervousness, of a fear of being unmasked by the apes with whom they associate.Contrary to what Julien believed, there is no value in associating with these possessors of perfect vagueness. They have no redeeming virtues, but one might enjoy a belly laugh in contemplating their foolishness and their "surface frivolity". To emulate them is to set oneself on the path to the guillotine. No, not a real guillotine, but rather one that will without a doubt remove any capacity for healthy cognition.Stendhal's Red and the Black is thus almost a book of advice. It advises against the "patrician calm", it encourages the freedom to express "vibrant emotion", and it admonishes those who worry about radiating "exact politeness." Stendhal finds no deficiency with those who at times feel sad, and he sets above all else those who possess a powerful imagination, those who are "interminably busy", and who would never, for any purpose whatsoever, portray themselves as being small and stupid. For Stendhal it is these individuals that have a future full of brilliant success.

Fast moving rags to riches story, love story, example of early 19th Century Romanticism , and blistering sociological view of the class structure of post-Bonapartist France. Truly a master work. Stendhal deserves to be read much more widely.

Stendhal went to Russia with Napoleon and survived to write splendid melodramas like this book while living in Italy. I read it after finishing Balzac's Lost Illusions which is a far superior book by a greater writer. Yet Stendhal continues to be read and enjoyed because of his vivid and almost contemporary gushing style. It's fun even if somewhat overwritten. On to the Charterhouse of Parma!!

Decided to read this after looking up Jackson Browne's allusion to it in his "Barricades of Heaven" song. "Life became the paradox, the...Rouge et Noir". I read that it is considered one of the best French novels ever written and a classic in France.

Post-Napoleonic France was no meritocracy.Stendahl's ambitious and ambiguous protagonist, Julien Sorel, is a peasant with a great memory for Latin and Biblical passages. These academic talents are joined to a youthful sensuality that earns him the romantic admiration of two women, one a bourgeois and the other a titled aristocrat.The young intellectual does well to depart the family run mill where his father metes out brutal beatings as reward for his lack of interest in the enterprise.This unfortunate childhood means that Julien, like most people, has multiple dimensions, some of which are off-putting to those around him (and to the reader).Sorel's cold calculations, his toying with the feelings of smitten and repressed women, serve him well on the way up, but rampant internal dialogues and painful inexperience litter his progress with self-made obstacles.Julien is a closet admirer of Napolean (Red) during the post-revolutionary restoration (Black) and opts for the life of an aspiring Catholic cleric to ensure his future, staining himself with the same hypocrisy he sees and loathes all around him.As such, "The Red and Black" sketches a panorama of what the social climber faced both in the provincial setting, where this "Bildungsroman" begins, and among the Parisian aristocracy, where it ends.The novel is a confirmed classic with a compelling narrative that should hold a reader's attention all on its own.However, an interest in how young Dukes and Counts of the era conversed with, and considered, each other will increase the appeal of "The Red and Black." A curiosity about bourgeois comportment and France generally will help, too.Diane Johnson, tapped to pen the introduction, notes that Stendahl's portraits of the two principal female characters, Madame to Renal, and the aristocrat Mademoiselle de La Mole, are deeper and more loving than those typically found in novels of the time.Indeed, the ladies are, like Julien, alternately admirable and flawed and therefore realistically rendered, chafing at the limitations of their classes and gender.To give away the end is to give away the book so prospective readers will have to take the plunge content in knowing that "The Red and Black" maps a rake's progress while exposing, via the author's own experiences as a man of consequence and leisure, 19th century French society and its maladies.

Great to make the acquaintance with such a wonderful novel and extraordinary writer. i had heard of him enouh times to pique my interest. I am glad I tried him out. Grear story teller! His characters are real persons.

Book was in excellent condition and delivered as requested.

The cover is beautiful but the book I got has black marks and creases all over it and the binding is damaged.

Excellent

According to one list that I found online, this is supposed to be one of the best 100 books ever written. It really wasn't that bad but it reads like an overly-melodramatic period romance. I'm not too sure why it was titled The Red and the Black ( the military and the church?). Anyway, it takes a lot of what I call "close reading". You can't read at a normal or even fast pace without getting confused--Stendhal offers the reader SO MANY characters (they all have names) but you never know if they're going to be forgettable ones or ones you need to remember. I doubt that I will read more Stendhal. If you're thinking of getting this Kindle version, DON'T!!! Why? Well, 90% of it is the novel and 10% are the translators notes BUT there are NO links to the notes! Absolutely worthless. Buy a paper version and avoid this Kindle edition.

For those who don't know French or who are studying it this could be a real boon. A moral tale.

A book read by most as an adolescent stands the test of time, offering a decent adult read and well written even if somewhat jejeune story line