About the book

Julien Sorel measures himself against a society in which birth, money, religion, and political caution determine opportunity. His ambition takes him into households and institutions where sincerity can be a disadvantage, yet calculation does not protect him from intense feeling. Stendhal follows the movement between what Julien performs for others and what he tells himself, making small social encounters carry exceptional pressure. The novel's romantic relationships are also contests over class, pride, and the meaning of recognition. Its subtitle places the story within the France of its own historical moment rather than an abstract world of ambition. Horace B. Samuel's English translation includes an introduction. The pleasure of reading lies partly in noticing how swiftly a confident interpretation of another person can become a mistake.

Ambition and class
Love and pride
Self-deception

Why read it

For a sharply psychological novel about the cost of treating life as a campaign for recognition.

English translation by Horace B. Samuel · 1916 edition

Contents and reading sections

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 13
Section 14
Section 15
Section 16
Section 17
Section 18
Section 19
Section 20
Section 21
Section 22
Section 23
Section 24
Section 25
Section 26
Section 27
Section 28
Section 29
Section 30
Section 31
Section 32
Section 33
Section 34
Section 35
Section 36
Section 37
Section 38
Section 39
Section 40
Section 41
Section 42
Section 43
Section 44
Section 45
Section 46
Section 47
Section 48
Section 49
Section 50
Section 51
Section 52
Section 53
Section 54
Section 55
Section 56
Section 57
Section 58
Section 59
Section 60
Section 61
Section 62
Section 63
Section 64
Section 65
Section 66
Section 67
Section 68
Section 69
Section 70
Section 71
Section 72
Section 73
Section 74
Section 75
Section 76
Section 77
Section 78
Section 79
Section 80
Section 81
Section 82
Section 83
Section 84
Section 85
Section 86
Section 87
Section 88
Section 89
Section 90
Section 91
Section 92
Section 93

About the book

Why read it

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