Early Reviewers Stendhal

Published anonymously in 1827, Armance was Stendhal's first novel and acted as a broadside to the literary world. Immediately praised for its strong portrait of two lovers separated by chance and misunderstanding. Filled with the epitome of feelings from the Romantics, Armance ends as an enduring work.

On Love is Stendhal’s profound attempt to rationalise that most complex of emotions – romantic love. Inspired by his unrequited passion for the Countess Dembowska, he brings together logical, clear-sighted analysis with all-consuming emotion, to most remarkable effect. Observing that love exists in many forms, Stendhal begins his ‘study’ by classifying the different types – romantic, passionate, courtly… – whilst musing on love’s birth. He identifies the seven stages of falling in love, proffering wise advice for the ardent lover, not least how to ‘crystallise’ the object of one’s desire. Yet beneath these clever philosophical musings can be seen a desperate attempt to reconcile and dispel his own tortured emotions. The result is an astonishing work that bears all the hallmarks of Stendhal’s later realist masterpieces.