1. “A sword, a sword! My kingdom for a sword!”
2. “Politics is made up largely of irrelevancies.”
3. “When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving oneself, and one always ends by deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.”
4. “I have so much in me, and the feeling for her absorbs it all; I have so much, and without her it all comes to nothing.”
5. “In this world, illusions are sacred and the truth profane.”
6. “The person who expects to be happy in love will be disappointed in general, for love is like a bird: it is always sought out of season.”
7. “Great minds are capable of great vices as well as great virtues.”
8. “There are few things more dangerous than a woman’s silence. It usually means she’s plotting something.”
9. “It is difficult to understand the folly of a person who pretends to be wise.”
10. “A man must conquer himself before he can conquer the world.”
11. “In love, as in most other things, the active man has a marked advantage over the lover who simply waits.”
12. “Passion is the only thing that makes a woman interesting. No passion, no woman!”
13. “In matters of the heart, nothing is true except the improbable.”
14. “Nothing is more humiliating than to see idiots succeed in enterprises we have failed in.”
15. “A heart without love is a desert.”
16. “The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.”
17. “Ah, sir, a novel is a mirror carried along a high road. At one moment it reflects to your vision the azure skies, at another the mire of the puddles at your feet.”
18. “What is the use of love if it is not to inspire us to noble deeds?”
19. “Love is like a tree; it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin.”
20. “What a splendid thing water is! Don’t you think so? It’s so transparent, so inoffensive! You’d think it was always just the same.”
21. “The knowledge of the heart is the only knowledge that matters!”
22. “In love, unlike most other passions, the recollection of what you have had and lost is always better than what you can hope for in the future.”
23. “The secret of great fortunes without apparent cause is a crime forgotten because it was properly carried out.”
24. “There is a certain class of people who prefer to say that their fathers came down in the world through their own follies than to boast that they rose in the world through their own industry and talents.”
25. “One can acquire everything in solitude except character.”
26. “The most delicate and precious moments of a person’s life are those in which he conquers his timidity.”
27. “Happiness lies in the consciousness we have of it, and by no means in the way the future keeps its promises.”
28. “There is no belief, however foolish, that will not gather its faithful adherents who will defend it to the death.”
29. “Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.”
30. “The only way to be loved is to be and to appear lovely; if you show yourself to be hideous, people will treat you as such.”
31. “Love, like fire, goes out without fuel.”
“The Red and the Black” is a novel written by French author Stendhal (the pen name of Marie-Henri Beyle) and published in 1830. Set in France during the early 19th century, the novel explores the themes of ambition, love, social class, and hypocrisy.
The story follows the life of Julien Sorel, a young and intelligent protagonist from a working-class background. Julien aspires to rise in society and become successful, despite the limitations imposed by his humble origins. He is deeply influenced by the ideals of the French Revolution and believes in the power of individual merit.
Julien begins his journey by working as a tutor for the wealthy and influential Rênal family. While in their service, he engages in an affair with Madame de Rênal, the wife of his employer. This affair is both a means for Julien to satisfy his desires and a way to elevate his social standing. However, he eventually grows restless and seeks new opportunities to climb even higher.
Julien’s ambitions lead him to Paris, where he becomes involved with the aristocratic de la Mole family. He charms Mathilde de la Mole, the daughter of the family, and they engage in a passionate love affair. However, their relationship is complicated by the societal expectations and constraints placed on them by their respective social classes.
As Julien continues to navigate the complexities of his social ascent, he becomes entangled in political intrigue. He joins a secret society and participates in a failed assassination attempt on a prominent political figure. This act ultimately leads to his downfall, as he is arrested, tried, and sentenced to death.
Throughout the novel, Stendhal provides a critique of French society, highlighting its hypocrisy and the limitations placed on individuals based on their social status. The characters in “The Red and the Black” are complex and multi-dimensional, representing different facets of society and offering insights into human nature.
“The Red and the Black” is considered a classic of French literature and is praised for its psychological depth, its exploration of social issues, and its depiction of the human desire for power and recognition.
