The Red and the Black

The attractive and ambitious Julien Sorel is determined to surpass his humble peasant demeanor and contribute to his life by adopting the hypocritical principles of the society in which he works. Julien will eventually commit a crime due to passion, principle or madness, which will lead to his downfall. "Red and Black" is a vivid caricature of the French restoration of society to Waterloo, full of corruption, greed and boredom. The complex and sympathetic portrayal of Julian, the cruel exploiter, made him Stendhal's most outstanding and human work and one of the greatest figures in European literature.