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"A novel should be a mirror carried along a high road."

About the Book

Stendhal's The Red and the Black (Le Rouge et le Noir) is a towering achievement of world literature—a penetrating psychological and social novel that captures the restless spirit of post-Napoleonic France.

The story follows Julien Sorel, a brilliant but impoverished young man who dreams of rising above his humble beginnings. Torn between his ambition and his heart, Julien attempts to climb the rigid social ladder of 19th-century France—first through the Church (the "black") and then through the Army (the "red"). But his relationships with two women—Madame de Renal and Mathilde de La Mole—lead him into a tragic conflict between love, hypocrisy, and destiny.

Through sharp irony and psychological depth, Stendhal crafts a portrait of class struggle, moral corruption, and the illusions of romance, making The Red and the Black a timeless exploration of the human condition.

Praised by readers and philosophers alike, this novel remains one of the foundational works of modern realism, combining passion, intellect, and social critique in equal measure.

A story of ambition, love, and downfall, The Red and the Black continues to resonate with its insight into the eternal tension between desire and principle.

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