The Red and the Black

The Red and the Black or Le Rouge et le Noir is a psychological novel in two parts, written by French writer Marie-Henri Beyle, better known by his pen name Stendhal in 1830. 


The story tells about attempts of a provincial young man to rise socially beyond his frugal upbringing via combination of talent, hard work, deception and hypocrisy. The main character named Julien Sorel, who is a romantic, analytic and sociological satire of the French social order under the Bourbon restoration. 


Julien Sorel is the intelligent, ambitious young man, comes from a poor family and fails to understand much about the world he tries to conquer. He cherishes romantic illusions, but becomes a pawn in the political machinations of the influential people. The adventure of Julien is a satire on early 19th century French society.