Description
In this masterwork of French literature, Stendhal chronicles the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Julien Sorel, an ambitious young man determined to escape his provincial origins through cunning and calculated seduction. Navigating the treacherous landscape of post-Waterloo French society—a world of hypocrisy, greed, and moral corruption—Julien employs ruthless manipulation to ascend into the glittering circles of Parisian high society, conquering both the gentle Madame de Rênal and the proud Mathilde along the way. Yet beneath his cold, Machiavellian exterior lies a man whose own emotions ultimately betray his carefully constructed ambitions, leading him toward an unexpected and devastating act that seals his doom. A brilliant satire of aristocratic society and a penetrating psychological portrait of a complex protagonist, The Red and the Black remains one of the most compelling explorations of ambition, desire, and the corrupting nature of social climbing in European literature. This authoritative Penguin Classics edition features Roger Gard's acclaimed translation, which captures the natural, conversational voice of Stendhal's original prose.
Available Editions
paperback
Penguin
Published Sep 24, 2002
612 pages
ISBN: 9780140447644
paperback
Unknown
Published Jan 1, 1969
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Details
First Published
1830
Language
eng
Translation
Original: Le Rouge et le Noir
From: fra
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for The Red and the Black by Stendhal.