Marie-Henry Beyle Stendhal

Marie-Henri Beyle, known as Stendhal, was born on January 23, 1783, in Grenoble, France. He grew up in a conservative environment and lost his mother at an early age, which had a profound effect on his emotional structure. As a young man, he left Grenoble for Paris, where he became a soldier in Napoleon's army. During the Napoleonic Wars, he traveled throughout Europe, especially to Italy, which became his great inspiration.

After the fall of Napoleon, he withdrew from public life and devoted himself to writing. He spent much of his life in Italy and France, working as a diplomat and consul. His love of Italy is reflected in many of his works, especially in the Carthusian monastery of Parma. He was an advocate of realism and psychological analysis of characters, and his novels often explore ambition, love, and social norms. He died on March 23, 1842, in Paris.

Stendhal's literary legacy includes novels, essays, and travelogues, and his novels are among the most important works of French realism.

• Crveno i crno (1830) – It is considered one of the first realist novels. It follows the rise and fall of the young provincial Julien Sorel in French society after the Napoleonic Wars. The novel explores ambition, class divisions and the psychology of the main character.
• The Carthusian Monastery of Parma (1839) – A historical novel about the young aristocrat Fabrizio del Dongo and his love and political intrigues in Italy during the time of Napoleon.
• Lucien Leuwen (published posthumously) – An unfinished novel about a young idealist in the political and social struggles of France at the time.
• On Love (1822) – Philosophical and psychological essay in which he analyzes love through different types of feelings and social relationships.
• Racine and Shakespeare (1823–1825) – An essay in which Stendhal advocates romanticism against classicism.
• Travels in Italy (1829) – A travelogue celebrating Italian culture, art, and the beauty of life.

Stendhal's works left a deep mark on literature, and his technique of psychological realism and ironic style influenced many later authors, including Flaubert, Tolstoy, and Proust.