A review by lucysbookshelf
The Red and the Black by Stendhal

3.5

 3.5.

This was my first time reading a book by this author. I feel the need to clarify that most of the time, French literature is not my style at all (I found the exception in Flaubert this year, it was a great surprise) and Stendhal didn’t seem able to make it out of this curse but it might just be me. 

The story is good and entertaining, the admiration the main character has for Napoleon reminded me of “Crime and Punishment” and also of Balzac so I had high hopes that this would be a main point through all the actions and thoughts this character had. However, not only that didn’t seem consistent through the narration but the actions and scenes that took place seemed to have no depth, no deeper feeling or philosophical thought. When I finished the book I realized I couldn’t care less about the main character and even less for the secondary. I didn’t feel sympathy or dislike, just a neutral interest that kept me going until I finished the story. 

This story is situated during the Bourbon Restoration (1814-1830) where there was a lot of political upheaval in France and where social class determined everything. This was well portrayed in how Julian Sorel has to work hard to get the power he craves and compromise his ideals time and again to be able to keep his job, his class and the good opinion of society. 

Overall, it was an entertaining read with social commentary, the idea of power and money corrupting even those who aspire to be great and above it and how a person might have to transform into someone different to be able to get what they want.