A chip on the shoulder

A review of "Scarlet & Black: A Chronicle of the 19th Century" by Stendahl (real name: Marie-Henri Beyle)

This is a translation by Margaret Shaw of "Le Rouge et le Noir", the classic novel of the Bourbon Restoration, commonly known in English as "The Red And The Black" or in this case "Scarlet & Black".

Ostensibly a story about the class struggle and perils of overweening ambition, it is, in reality, a love story.

Inspired and partly based on a true story, the facts of which form the bookends of this novel, "Scarlet & Black" exhibits the shortcoming of an artist who doesn't know when to set the child of his creation free from its origin and allow it to find its own self.

At 511 pages it is a longish book, and I found it uninspiring for the first third while it is tied to its basis in fact. It is only when the novel leaves that factual foundation that it takes wings and becomes a page turner. This change in character is very marked.

Stendahl has created what, for most, will seem an unlikable hero. Essentially it is Stendahl himself. Here is Julien Sorel, a teenager from a poor and unloving family in rural France after the fall of Napoleon. He is thin and good-looking, with a tremendous intellect. Unfortunately for him, his intellect is matched by an enormous CHIP ON THE SHOULDER, presumably the result of a combination of being poor and talented in an unjust society and seeing a nobody in Napoleon rise above it all to become the Emperor of France. Yes, it is Napoleon he idolises, the tyranny of the class system that he despises and the revolution that he embodies.

It is this great chip on the shoulder that is the psychological foundation for most of Julien's actions. It runs through him like a river, manifesting as insane ego, overweening ambition, fantastic courage, iron discipline and cold rationality.

This may have been the foundation of Stendahl's character and it does ring of truth, but it makes for repulsive reading; especially in the early chapters where Julien is an ignorant, unrefined, one-dimensional, arrogant animal, newly emerged and white hot from the crucible of rage. To get through this section requires determination and detachment from the protagonist, or a masochistic love of the cringe.

Fortunately for this novel Julien is open to love, at least to some degree, and the two women he has affairs with are able to love him. Furthermore the love is deep in both cases and on both sides. GREAT loves indeed, especially the second, and it is only the greatness of this love that is able to overpower the greatness of the chip on Julien's shoulder, redeem his arrogance and make this book readable.

His second love: Mathilde de la Mole, is a character from Stendahl's own life, the Countess Methilde Dembowski who disdained his court. It is an insight into the twisted mind of the author that it is only the woman who won't have him in real life who falls so tragically for him in his novel. And it is the character of Mathilde de la Mole who is so well drawn and so likeable who saves this book and gives it its energy. The triumph of love over ego, (at least for a while), in the book, is the triumph of love over ego in Stendahl, and this is surely an attractive and palatable vista.

The book is also renowned for its observations of French society at the time, both upper and lower class, provincial and Parisian. It is even more full of political observations about the three power factions at the time: the Church, the Aristocracy and the Liberals, and it is from this that it gains its title: "Scarlet & Black", the Scarlet being the colour of the Military and the black that of the Church. Since Stendahl was a military man and a diplomat himself, it is not surprising that this should form the canvas upon which this love story should be painted. Stendahl's understanding of the complexities of Politics is deep and thorough, and this constant background of struggle and intrigue is one of the finest things about this novel.

Stendahl also exhibits a fine, though over-cynical understanding of people, both men and women, especially those in high society or in positions of power. His characters are consistently plausible throughout a wide range of activities, except for the ending and a few other places where Stendahl's grasp of great love is shown to be not quite deep enough. Still, in all, his understanding is superior to that of Proust.

The most resonant line for me, occurred when Father Pirard offers Julien a promotion, saying: "Your career will be a painful one; I see in you something that offends the common run of men. Jealousy and calumny will pursue you. In whatever place Providence chooses to put you, your colleagues will never see you without hating you..." Such is the petty jealousy of the poor in talent.

A significant, but by no means fatal flaw, in this work is the question whether a man like Julien Sorel could inspire great love, especially from his social superiors. He seems to me too serious, self obsessed, inexperienced, scheming and cold. It is hard to believe such a man could make a good lover. Certainly an intelligent and erudite man with the flash of fire about him may make an attractive alternative to the run-of-the-mill nobleman in the eyes of a young and rebellious woman, as a friend, but it is hard to see the darling of society, with the world at her feet overlooking Sorel's great and obvious flaws and REALLY falling for him as a lover.

This is where Stendahl's fantasy gets the better of him. In reality the Countess did NOT fall for him. It is the reality that is plausible, more than the fantasy. Still, if Mathilde had not fallen for Julien where would the novel be?

The fatal flaw for me is at the end, where Stendahl insists on forcing the path of the novel back to the little story of fact that inspired it. Both the story and its hero have grown far beyond the inspirational basis and to shoehorn them back into a mould that is too small for it simply doesn't work. The way he moulds the love at this point is pure, unbelievable fantasy and Julien's apotheosis from villain to hero of the people is patently absurd.

It is clear to me that this famous work is an attempt on the part of Stendahl to rewrite a part of his life as a fantasy. Unfortunately it is also an improvisation on a theme that is too narrow for its subject matter. So it is, that like many famous works, it is deeply flawed. However it has the splendid and detailed background of the Bourbon Restoration, Stendahl's understanding of people and politics and the theme of great love. Last but not least, it has Stendahl's clear narrative prose, that sticks to the story with military precision and keeps it moving.

4/5

Warren Mars - May 8, 2007