True fame came to the author of "Red and Black" only after his death. During the life of Stendhal, books were not read much. However, the work of this prose writer was appreciated by such masters of the word as Balzac, Goethe, Byron, Pushkin. The biography of the writer Stendhal is set out in this article.
early years
Henri-Marie Beil was born in 1783 in a family that took seriously the destructive noble and church prejudices that justified class privileges. Catholicism was highly revered by the father of the future writer. Henri-Marie Beil himself, having matured, hated the church.
So, the creator of "Red and Black" was born in a family of wealthy bourgeois. From childhood memories, he brought out the images of two houses. The first was unpleasant, with dark stairs and unbearable decor. The second is bright, comfortable. The first house belonged to the father of Henri-Marie Beil. The second is to the grandfather of the future writer, Dr. Gagnon.
Sheryuben Beyl - the father of our hero - made a career, had a good position in society. He served as a prosecutor, a lawyer in parliament, which brought him a good income. He was soul and body devoted to the "old regime." Henri-Marie Beil - the only representative of his esteemed family - became a Republican, in which the aforementioned maternal grandfather played a role. Gagnon was a man of advanced views, it was he who introduced the grandson to the work of Voltaire and other enlighteners. The doctor had a rare pedagogical talent.
In 1794, the street where the home of the future author of Parma Monastery and other remarkable works was located was renamed in honor of Rousseau, the writer who once stayed here in the sixties. Baile Sr. was far from idle. He worked tirelessly from the age of seventeen, studied at the same time, passed exams by law, and only got married at 34. But the speech is not about him, but about his brilliant son, who in childhood experienced a difficult tragedy - the death of his mother. This event became a key in his life.
The death of his mother made Henry an atheist and anti-clerical. In addition, her departure provoked hostility to her father. However, Stendhal never loved his parent, about which he repeatedly wrote in his memoirs. Sheryuben practiced rather strict methods of education, loved him more as a successor of his surname than as a son.
Hate teacher
The first mentor to Henry was Jean Ryan. However, before him was still Pierre Joubert, but he quickly died. Ryan was a Jesuit, giving the boy Latin lessons, forcing him to read the Bible, which caused an even greater hostility to the church. “He was a small, thin man with a lying look,” is one of Stendhal’s statements about his teacher.
The writer’s childhood was at a time when the church still had considerable weight in politics and public life. Ryan presented his student with the theory of the universe. But only those that were approved by the church, and they had nothing to do with science. In his lessons, the boy frankly missed. “I became angry, gloomy, unhappy,” - so the French writer Stendhal told about his childhood. Only the educated and well-read grandfather Gagnon enjoyed the location of young Henry.
From an early age, Henri-Marie Bayle read a lot. He secretly penetrated his father’s library and took another “dangerous” book from the top shelf. It is worth saying that among the banned literature was listed and "Don Quixote." What was the danger of the work of Cervantes, it is difficult to say. Perhaps the book of the great Spaniard did not correspond to the mores of the Catholic Church. Father threatened to seize a book about the ingenious hidalgo. Grandfather, in the meantime, secretly advised the boy to read Moliere.
Maths
In a school located in his hometown, Beil mastered only Latin. At least the writer so claimed in his memoirs. He was also engaged in philosophy, mathematics, and logic.
In 1799, Beil left for the capital, where he intended to continue his education. The meaning of life for him a few years before the move was mathematics. Firstly, to enter the Polytechnic School meant to leave the hated father’s home. Secondly, mathematics is not ambiguous. Stendhal, whose books became classics of world literature, from childhood hated hypocrisy. But he did not enter the Polytechnic School. A coup d'etat occurred, which carried the young man into a whirlpool of completely different events.
Paris
In November 1797, a coup took place in France. The directory was powerless. The new government was led by Napoleon. This event marked the end of the revolutionary period. A despotic regime was established, Bonaparte declared himself First Consul. Henri Beil, like thousands of other young people, was much troubled by grandiose historical events.
Upon arrival in Paris, he settled in a hostel from the Polytechnic School and after a few days realized that he hated the capital. He was annoyed by crowded streets, inedible food, and the lack of familiar landscapes. Beil realized that studying at a Parisian institution attracted him only because he saw this as a way to escape from his parental home. And mathematics was only a means. And he changed his mind to enter the Polytechnic College.
Beil enlisted in the army - in the Dragoon Regiment. Influential relatives procured a young man an appointment in the northern part of Italy. The future writer loved this country with all his heart.
Dramaturgy
Soon, Beil became disillusioned with Napoleon's policies. In 1802, he resigned and went to Paris, where he lived for three years. In the capital, he devoted himself to self-education: he studied philosophy, the history of literature, and the English language. During this period, he had a dream to become a playwright. By the way, he took possession of the love of theatrical art even in adolescence, during his stay in his father’s house. Once in his hometown, a Paris troupe came on tour. Henry not only did not miss a single performance, but also fell in love with the capital's actress. He tracked her, languished, dreamed of meeting her, in a word, knew unrequited love.
Return to the army
Bayle did not become the "Second Moliere." In addition, in Paris, he fell in love again, and again in the actress. Future Stendhal followed her to Marseille. And in 1825 he returned to military service, which allowed him to visit Germany and Austria. On campaigns, the commissary officer found time to write notes. Some of them were lost when crossing the Berezina.
Surprisingly, Stendhal did not have a combat experience. Only the experience of an observer, who later came in handy for him in literary work. He visited Smolensk, Orsha, Vyazma. He witnessed the battle of Borodino. I saw burning Moscow.
Italy
After the fall of Napoleon, the hero of today's story left for the land, where he always felt happy and inspired. In Milan, he spent seven years. Here Stendhal wrote his first works, among them "The History of Painting in Italy." At this time, he was fond of the work of the famous German art critic and even took a pseudonym in honor of his hometown.
In Italy, Beil became close to the Republicans. Here he met Matilda Visconti - a woman who left a deep imprint on his soul. She was married to a Polish general. In addition, she died early.
In the twenties in Italy began the persecution of the Republicans, among whom there were many friends of Stendhal. He had to return to his homeland. The reactionary policy that was established in the north of Italy aroused acute hostility in him. Later, Stendhal will reflect the events that he witnessed in the 20s in the book “Parma Monastery”.
Creativity Stendhal
Paris met the writer unfriendly. Rumors of his ties with Italian Republicans have already infiltrated the French capital. Nevertheless, he regularly published his works, albeit under a false name. The author of these notes was determined only after a hundred years. In 1823, the essays "Racine and Shakespeare", "On Love" were published. By that time, Stendhal had gained a reputation as a witty debater: he visited literary salons regularly.
In 1827, the first novel by Stendhal - “Armans” was published. A number of works in a realistic spirit have also been created. In 1830, the writer completed work on the novel Red and Black. This work is described in more detail below.
Public service
In 1830, the July Monarchy was established in France . Stendhal’s position has changed for the better: he enlisted as consul in Trieste. He was later transferred to Civitavecchia, where he worked until the last days of his life. In this small port city, the French writer was lonely and bored. The official routine left little time for creativity. However, he often visited Rome.
During a long vacation in Paris, Stendhal wrote several notes and completed his last novel. His work attracted the famous novelist Balzac.
Last years
There are several versions regarding the cause of death of the writer. According to one of them, Stendhal died of syphilis. It is known that he was sick for a long time; he used potassium iodide and a mercury preparation as a therapeutic agent. Sometimes he was so weak that he could not write. The syphilis version has no evidence. It is worth saying that until the beginning of the 20th century, the diagnosis of this ailment has not yet been developed.
In March 1842, the writer lost consciousness on the street. A few hours later he died. Most likely, Stendhal died of a stroke. A classic of world literature was buried at the Montmartre cemetery.
List of Stendhal's works:
- "Armans".
- "Vanina Vanini."
- "Red and black".
- "Parma monastery."
This list, of course, did not include a huge number of articles on art. The writer expressed his aesthetic credo in works on the works of Shakespeare, Racine, Walter Scott.
"Red and black"
The question of the symbolism of flowers in the title is still open. The most common opinion: the combination of red and black means a choice between a career in the church and the army. The work is based on a story read by Stendhal in a newspaper. The book "Red and Black" gained wide popularity only at the end of the XIX century.
"Parma monastery"
The novel was published in 1839. At the beginning of the work, the author describes the Italians' delight caused by the liberation from the Habsburgs, in which the writer’s compatriots played a major role. But soon in the north of the country, the persecution of freethinkers and traitors begins, one of which is the main character. The novel has many battle scenes. The author showed the war in all its absurdity, which for that time became a literary innovation.