Love is a madness most discreet
My own experience with Stendhal's classic The red and the black is rather overwhelming. When I was an young teenager and read the novel for the first time I was indeed seduced to the waterfall of high emotions that were on offer.
I can still remember reading this passage very clearly for the first time, and being affected heavily by the various stimili: "As the lady collapsed and fell backwards on her knees, her friend who was near her hastened to help her. At the same time Julien saw the shoulders of the lady who was falling backwards. His eyes were struck by a twisted necklace of fine, big pearls, which he knew well. What were his emotions when he recognised the hair of Madame de Rênal? It was she! The lady who was trying to prevent her from falling was Madame Derville. Julien was beside himself and hastened to their side. Madame de Rênal’s fall would perhaps have carried her friend along with her, if Julien had not supported them. He saw the head of Madame de Rênal, pale and entirely devoid of consciousness floating on his shoulder. He helped Madame Derville to lean that charming head up against a straw chair. He knelt down."
In the novel this happening, the beginning of the romance of Julien Sorel and Madame de Rênal, is marked by Julien's arrival as a tutor, his calculated seduction of her, and their subsequent affair. This relationship with Madame de Rênalis is a crucial early step in Julien's ambitious journey to rise above his humble origins, showcasing his manipulative nature and burgeoning romantic inclinations, which are complicated by the societal and political context of post-Napoleonic France. It gave indeed a sensitive portrayal of a new kind of romantic hero, but also a brilliant satirical portrait of French society at that age. Even Stendhal’s social commentary is very astute. He understood the power of the priesthood and perhaps too the then dawning power of the press, or indeed the media overall: "Yet men like this [priests] are the only moral teachers available to the common people, and how would the latter fare without them? Will newspapers succeed in replacing priests?"
Moreover, there's also something called Stendhal syndrome which is a psychosomatic condition causing temporary physical and mental distress (such as tachycardia, sweating, confusion, dizziness, and even fainting) when a person is exposed to significant appearances like extreme beauty eminating from works of art or architecture. The condition is named after Stendhal who described similar overwhelming symptoms during a visit to Florence in 1817
I can still remember reading this passage very clearly for the first time, and being affected heavily by the various stimili: "As the lady collapsed and fell backwards on her knees, her friend who was near her hastened to help her. At the same time Julien saw the shoulders of the lady who was falling backwards. His eyes were struck by a twisted necklace of fine, big pearls, which he knew well. What were his emotions when he recognised the hair of Madame de Rênal? It was she! The lady who was trying to prevent her from falling was Madame Derville. Julien was beside himself and hastened to their side. Madame de Rênal’s fall would perhaps have carried her friend along with her, if Julien had not supported them. He saw the head of Madame de Rênal, pale and entirely devoid of consciousness floating on his shoulder. He helped Madame Derville to lean that charming head up against a straw chair. He knelt down."
In the novel this happening, the beginning of the romance of Julien Sorel and Madame de Rênal, is marked by Julien's arrival as a tutor, his calculated seduction of her, and their subsequent affair. This relationship with Madame de Rênalis is a crucial early step in Julien's ambitious journey to rise above his humble origins, showcasing his manipulative nature and burgeoning romantic inclinations, which are complicated by the societal and political context of post-Napoleonic France. It gave indeed a sensitive portrayal of a new kind of romantic hero, but also a brilliant satirical portrait of French society at that age. Even Stendhal’s social commentary is very astute. He understood the power of the priesthood and perhaps too the then dawning power of the press, or indeed the media overall: "Yet men like this [priests] are the only moral teachers available to the common people, and how would the latter fare without them? Will newspapers succeed in replacing priests?"
Moreover, there's also something called Stendhal syndrome which is a psychosomatic condition causing temporary physical and mental distress (such as tachycardia, sweating, confusion, dizziness, and even fainting) when a person is exposed to significant appearances like extreme beauty eminating from works of art or architecture. The condition is named after Stendhal who described similar overwhelming symptoms during a visit to Florence in 1817
