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Stendhal
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Died: March 23, 1842, in Paris, France
Stendhal was one of the greatest French analytical novelists. He used the pseudonym of Marie Henri Beyle. He is noted, among other achievements, for creating a new hero archetype: one in isolation from society.
He was the son of a lawyer and was educated at a strict Jesuit school. He left home as soon as possible and joined the army of Napolean Bonaparte. After leaving the military in 1802, he lived a bohemian lifestyle in Paris.
Stendhal began his writing career in Italy with L'Histoire de la peinture en Italie and Rome, Naples, et Florence en 1817. He was exiled from Italy four years later after being convicted of aiding the rebel cause for independence. He returned to Paris where he wrote one of his most popular works, De l'amour. This thesis explored the nature of love. It was based, at least in part, on his own relationships with women.
In 1830, he worked for the French consulate while writing The Red and the Black, published in 1830 and The Charterhouse of Parma, published in 1839. He died of apoplexy.
The Red and the Black
Stendhal’s most popular work was
based on an actual event he read about in the “Gazette des Tribunaux.” This
realistic novel is known for its psychological study of its protagonist, the young
romantic Julien Sorel, and its satire of 19th century Restoration society.