crazy about Stendhal

One of my professors once explained to our class, "There are two kinds of scholars when it comes to Stendhal: those who love Le Rouge et le Noir, and those who love La Chartreuse de Parme. It's said that if you love the one, you hate the other, and the two types of scholars have gone so far as to jokingly give names to their factions..."

I can't remember what he said these "factions" of scholars call themselves. Les Rouges? Les Chartreuses? Has anyone ever heard of this before? I hope so, because I like it when scholars get catty and start throwing their wit around.

By the way, welcome to the group. Please, post away.

Hello,

I'm writing my phd on Anita Brookner, whose admiration of Stendhal has often been recorded in interviews. In her 1987 novel "A Friend from England" Brookner quotes from book of Stendhal's and i'm trying to find out which book it is.

The quote is "“Lacking more serious occupations since 1814, I write, as one might smoke a cigar after dinner, in order to pass the time” (p.129)

Any ideas??

I don't hate either of the novels. I love everythigng Stendhal ever wrote!

But I do consider "The Charterhouse of Parma" to be the most novelish of novels ever written. That is, it has the most elements necessary to a successful novel.

As for Stendhal himself? I could not love Stendhal less, my dear, loved I not Balzac more.

I loved "The Red and the Black" and "The Charterhouse of Parma". Stendhals "Life of Napoleon" and "The Life of Henry Brulard" are on my wish list. By all accounts Stendhal was not a nice man, but he certainly was a very great novelist.

Thanks for reminding me of another great French writer. I discovered Zola and Balzac a few months ago, and have been devouring books (slowly, I must say, since they are so wordy and so big) by them. Now I'm reading "Les Liaisons Dangerouses", which is also wonderful. I'll keep Stendahl on my TBR list.

Sitting down for the nth time to read The Red and the Black and am at least reasonably well into the story, finally. But I find that, once again, the translator matters far more than most people seem to acknowledge. And so my biggest problem is the translator (I have the World's Classics paperback edition, translated by Catherine Slater). It's not that the translation isn't good or competent. It's clearly British and uses many Britishisms (some of which I, at least, find obscure) and I find it a bit...dated. I wonder if anyone out in LTLand has an edition whose translation they actually enjoyed. Any and all nominations cheerfully welcomed!

If I had to pick, it would be Le Rouge et le noir with Julien Sorel's charming naiveté. Fabrice just wasn't as convincing for me.

I have to admit that I was distinctly underwhelmed by The Red and the Black (which was doubly disappointing since I love Balzac and I know Balzac admired Stendahl). I hope that triciab's post is right and that I will like The Charterhouse of Parma more.

8. I enjoyed the Horace B. Samuel translation of The Red and the Black.