A review by mediaevalmuse
The Red and the Black by Stendhal

challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 This book has been on my TBR pile for ages and I finally picked it up thanks to my New Year's Resolution to read more chonky books. Overall, I can see why this book is highly regarded, but I think readers will struggle with it if they don't have a strong background in French history. Reading the Norton Critical Edition certainly helped, as I'm no expert myself. I can't speak for the translation's accuracy, but it was helpful to have a number of critical resources available.

WRITING: Since I do not have the original French edition of this book, I can't speak to the accuracy of the translation - only the impression that I have from the English.

It seemed to me that the prose jumped around a bit. Sometimes, the authorial asides were quite funny and charming. At other times, time skips appeared at random and were so jarring that they interrupted the sense of flow. There were also phrases that were repeated multiple times, so much so that they were distracting, but even so, I can't say that I disliked the prose. It's fairly interesting in a 19th century sort of way, but I can see how some people may struggle with it.

PLOT: The plot of this book follows Julien Sorel, the youngest son of a provincial carpenter, whose ambitions for status and wealth are at odds with his own pride and passion. Julien begins by accepting a position as a Latin tutor for the mayor of the town, and after embarking upon an affair with the mayor's wife, must escape to seminary in order to avoid scandal. From there, he attaches himself to a priest who gets him a job as a secretary for a prominent Marquis. Julien then embarks upon another affair and things spiral downward from there.

There was a lot about this plot that I found quite interesting. I liked the way Stendhal interacts with the political climate of the 1830s and how Julien's ambitious fit in with various parties vying for power and influence. I also really enjoyed the way the heroic past is utilized, both in defining Julien's ambitions and in characterizing Mathilde's passion.

I can see how this book may be a struggle for some readers, however, as much of its significance derives from knowledge of Stendhal's interaction with French history and politics. In that sense, the Norton Critical Edition was invaluable; I'm no expert myself, so it was helpful to read through the secondary sources to get a sense of what Stendhal was doing.

CHARACTERS: Julien, our protagonist, was interesting in that he constantly thwarted his own ambition by getting caught up in emotion and passion. It made him something of a slippery fish but without much cunning; he wasn't ruthless, but he was nevertheless constantly thinking, and that was kind of fun. I also was never sure whether to see him as sympathetic or not; he would sometimes act abominably, but his point about the upper classes and social hierarchies are on point. In the end, I don't think sympathy mattered all that much; his attitudes were terrible and amusing, so what more can one ask for?

Mathilde, one of Julien's lovers, was more interesting to me personally because of how she embodied aristocratic pride and its relationship to the past. I was intrigued by Mathilde's wild desire for passion and danger, especially since it contrasted with the boredom of the present upper class, and her adoration for her ancestors and heroic past was particularly thought-provoking.

Mme de Renal, Julien's first lover, is fine. Her devotion to Julien is fun in a gossipy, scandal-making way, and she provides an interesting contrast to Mathilde.

Various other characters serve their purpose well, and several of them are instrumental for understanding the political climate I'm which Julien is operating. His various friendship were heartening even if they were risky, and his quarrels with various people were good fodder for exploring the barriers to his ambition.

TL;DR: The Red and the Black is a fascinating piece of 19th century French literature, though if you're not familiar with history, I would definitely recommend an edition with supporting materials. 
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