Nathalie rannou stendhal biography
The metaphor of the realistic novel as a mirror of contemporary reality, accessible to the narrator, has certain limitations, which the artist is aware of. A valuable realistic work exceeds the Platonic meaning of art as a copy of reality. A mirror does not reflect reality in its entirety, nor is the artist's aim to document it fully. In The Red and the Blackthe writer emphasizes the significance of selection when it comes to describing reality, with a view to realizing the cognitive function of a work of art, achieved through the categories of unity, coherence and typicality".
Today, Stendhal's works attract attention for their irony and psychological and historical nathalie rannou stendhal biographies. He wrote a biography of Rossini, Vie de Rossininow more valued for its wide-ranging musical criticism than for its historical content. He also idealized aristocracy, noting its antiegalitarianism but appreciating how it is liberal in its love of liberty.
Also published was a more extended autobiographical work, thinly disguised as the Life of Henry Brulard. His other works include short stories, journalism, travel books A Roman Journala famous collection of essays on Italian painting, and biographies of several prominent figures of his time, including NapoleonHaydnMozartRossini and Metastasio.
In Stendhal's classic On Love [ fr ] he describes or compares the "birth of love", in which the love object is 'crystallized' in the mind, as being a process similar or analogous to a trip to Rome. In the analogy, the city of Bologna represents indifference and Rome represents perfect love :. When we are in Bologna, we are entirely indifferent; we are not concerned to admire in any particular way the person with whom we shall perhaps one day be madly in love; even less is our imagination inclined to overrate their worth.
In a word, in Bologna "crystallization" has not yet begun. When the journey begins, love departs. One leaves Bologna, climbs the Apenninesand takes the road to Rome. The departure, according to Stendhal, has nothing to do with one's will; it is an instinctive moment. This transformative process actuates in terms of four steps along a journey:.
This journey or crystallization process shown above was detailed by Stendhal on the back of a playing card while speaking to Madame Gherardi, during his trip to the Salzburg salt mine. Hippolyte Taine considered the psychological portraits of Stendhal's characters to be "real, because they are complex, many-sided, particular and original, like living human beings.
At that point it became suddenly evident that the Novel as such was capable of being regarded as a means of profoundly serious and many-sided discussion and therefore as a medium of profoundly serious investigation into the human case. Erich Auerbach considers modern "serious realism" to have begun with Stendhal and Balzac. Simone de Beauvoir uses Stendhal as an example of a feminist author.
In The Second Sex de Beauvoir writes "Stendhal never describes his heroines as a function of his heroes: he provides them with their own destinies. Even Stendhal's autobiographical works, such as The Life of Henry Brulard or Memoirs of an Egotistare "far more closely, essentially, and concretely connected nathalie rannou stendhal biography the politics, sociology, and economics of the period than are, for example, the corresponding works of Rousseau or Goethe ; one feels that the great events of contemporary history affected Stendhal much more directly than they did the other two; Rousseau did not live to see them, and Goethe had managed to keep aloof from them.
We may ask ourselves how it came about that modern consciousness of reality began to find literary form for the first time precisely in Henri Beyle of Grenoble. Beyle-Stendhal was a man of keen intelligence, quick and alive, mentally independent and courageous, but not quite a great figure. His ideas are often forceful and inspired, but they are erratic, arbitrarily advanced, and, despite all their show of boldness, lacking in inward certainty and continuity.
There is something unsettled about his whole nature: his fluctuation between realistic candor in general and silly mystification in particulars, between cold self-control, rapturous abandonment to sensual pleasures, and insecure and sometimes sentimental vaingloriousness, is not always easy to put up with; his literary style is very impressive and unmistakably original, but it is short-winded, not uniformly successful, and only seldom wholly takes possession of and fixes the subject.
But, such as he was, he offered himself to the moment; circumstances seized him, tossed him about, and laid upon him a unique and unexpected destiny; they formed him so that he was compelled to come to terms with reality in a way which no one had done before him. Vladimir Nabokov was dismissive of Stendhal, in Strong Opinions calling him "that pet of all those who like their French plain".
In the notes to his translation of Eugene Oneginhe asserts that Le Rouge et le Noir is "much overrated", and that Stendhal has a "paltry style". In Pnin Nabokov wrote satirically, "Literary departments still labored under the impression that Stendhal, GalsworthyDreiserand Mann were great writers. Michael Dirda considers Stendhal "the greatest all round French writer — author of two of the top 20 French novels, author of a highly original autobiography Vie de Henry Brularda superb travel writer, and as inimitable a presence on the page as any writer you'll ever meet.
In Stendhal was reportedly overcome by the cultural richness of Florence he encountered when he first visited the Tuscan city.
Nathalie rannou stendhal biography: se·s, lecteur·ice·s, scripteur·ice·s · Nathalie
As I emerged from the porch of Santa Croce, I was seized with a fierce palpitation of the heart that same symptom which, in Berlin, is referred to as an attack of the nerves ; the well-spring of life was dried up within me, and I walked in constant fear of falling to the ground. The condition was diagnosed and named in by Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magheriniwho had noticed similar psychosomatic conditions racing heart beat, nausea and dizziness amongst first-time visitors to the city.
In homage to Stendhal, Trenitalia named their overnight train service from Paris to Venice the Stendhal Express, though there is no physical distress connected to it. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Among writers, Stendhal ranks 43 out of 7, Before him are Friedrich SchillerH.
Among people born inStendhal ranks 1. Among people deceased inStendhal ranks 1. He also enrols in a drama class still hoping to become a playwright but his endeavours come to nothing. He becomes known for his clear headedness in difficult circumstances. He moves back to Paris where he experiences financial problems. He also writes articles for several periodicals.
It concerns the sexual impotence of the male hero who eventualy commits suicide. Stendhal was an admirer of Napoleon and the novel has been seen as his tribute to the Emperor. Remembrances of a Tourist. He returns to his Consular post in Italy.
Nathalie rannou stendhal biography: Expérience: Université Rennes 2 · Lieu:
It uses Renaissance chronicles and contemporary events such as Napoleon in Italy, the Battle of Waterloo and the Austrian occupation of Milan as a backdrop. However, over time, it has been acknowledged as a masterpiece of 19th-century literature, celebrated for its deep psychological insight and critique of social stratification. Stendhal's Red and Black is renowned for employing a narrative technique that introduces the reader to the inner thoughts and feelings of its characters, a precursor to the stream-of-consciousness technique used by later authors.
This approach, coupled with its vivid depiction of the French Restoration period, makes the novel not only a significant literary work but also an important historical document offering insights into the post-Napoleonic era in France. Moreover, the title itself symbolises the tensions between the secular and clerical, the military and the clergy, which are central themes in the novel, adding another layer to Stendhal's critique of his society.
Stendhal once mentioned that he wrote Red and Black in just 52 days, demonstrating both his passion for the subject matter and his remarkable literary skill. Stendhal's literary universe is rich with themes that delve into human psychology, societal norms, and the complexities of emotion and ambition. His narrative brilliance, as observed in works like Red and Blacksheds light on the turbulent era of the French Restoration, exploring themes that resonate with universal human experiences.
In Red and BlackStendhal navigates through a myriad of themes, prominently including social ambition, love versus ambition, and the clash between individual desires and societal expectations. The novel's protagonist, Julien Sorel, embodies these conflicts, as he manoeuvres through the societal hierarchy, torn between his ambitions and his emotions.
Social Ambition: A term often attributed to the desire of individuals to ascend the social ladder, which can involve gaining wealth, status, or power within society. In Red and BlackJulien Sorel's aspiration to rise above his modest background and to achieve aristocratic status exemplifies the theme of social ambition. Red and Black is not only a story of one man's ambition but also a canvas for Stendhal to explore deeper themes through a variety of characters.
This narrative approach allows a multi-dimensional exploration of themes such as:. Stendhal's works, particularly through the lens of Red and Blackmirror the societal and political shifts of early 19th-century France.
Nathalie rannou stendhal biography: The author, who chooses
Stendhal's critique extends beyond the plot, using the characters' personal ambitions and moral dilemmas to offer a window into the wider societal issues of the era. The disillusionment with the monarchy and the Church, apparent in the narrative, goes on to underscore the restlessness felt across Europe post-Napoleon. Stendhal skilfully uses his narrative to question not just the societal hierarchy but also the human emotions and ambitions that interact with these structures, making his work a timeless exploration of the human condition.
Stendhal famously likened his writing approach to a 'mirror walking along a road,' reflecting society and the psyche of his characters with remarkable authenticity and depth.