Stendhal, [Henri Beyle] | First edition, preserving the original wrappers

Stendhal, [Henri Beyle]

 Le Rouge et le Noir. Paris: A. Levavasseur, 1831

2 vols, 8vo (220 x 135 mm, uncut). Half-titles, title-pages with woodcut vignettes by Porret after Henry Mortimer, publisher's printed wrappers (including the spine panels) with woodcut vignettes by the same bound in; a few leaves chipped at corners, one or two tiny edge tears, very occasional stray spots. Bound by Edward Pagnant in half green morocco over marbled boards, spine lettered in gilt and decorated with gilt columns, marbled endpapers; very light rubbing to joints.

An exceptionally clean copy of the first edition of one of the most important texts in French literature.

Stendhal’s surprisingly modern bildungsroman about the rise and fall of the romantic Julian Sorel, who attempts to climb the rungs of French society and surpass the expectations of his modest, rural upbringing. The novel is not only an exploration of Julian’s own psychological and spiritual struggles but also a satire of the clergy and French society in general. Many believed Julian Sorel to be a stand-in for Stendhal; although he fervently denied this, he strongly empathized with Sorel's plight. 

Le Rouge et le Noir, like much of Stendhal’s work, was not appreciated in his own day; it was only after Stendhal’s death that critics began to realize what a revolutionary stylist he was. He’s now credited as one of the fathers of psychological realism due to the space he devotes to his characters’ inner lives. “Stendhal’s mind was of the first order ... he wrote his two novels, which so few people have read, in a spirit of fearless liberty” (Joseph Conrad).

REFERENCE:

Carteret II, 354; Vicaire I, 456; Lhermitte 568; Ramsden French, p. 140.