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The Red and the Black

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The Red and the Black

By: Stendhal
Narrated by: Bill Homewood
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About this listen

Young Julien Sorel, the son of a country timber merchant, carries a portrait of his hero, Napoleon Bonaparte, and dreams of military glory. A brilliant career in the Church leads him into Parisian high society, where, "mounted upon the finest horse in Alsace", he gains high military office and wins the heart of the aristocratic Mlle Mathilde de la Mole. Julien's cunning and ambition lead him into all sorts of scrapes, but it is the struggle between his passion for two beautiful women - the quixotic Mathilde and the loyal Mme de Rênal - which ultimately decides his destiny.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos Audiobooks Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Napoleon Bonaparte Military

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it's a major work of literature and fascinating for its unique understanding of religious culture in France, about which Stendhal is contemptuous, and aristocratic mores. Class war in his time was never so accurately depicted and satirised but its drawback is the unattractive main characters. The reading is superb.

Post-Napoleonic France unconverted

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It’s a classic and hugely influential so I am glad to have ‘read’ it; however, I couldn’t quite get into it. I think it’s because it’s rather of its time—very 1830s. Moreover, the insincerity of all the major characters makes it very difficult to empathise with them. Julien is too driven by self interest, Mathilde too capricious…”etc., etc.,etc.”. But read very well and engaging nonetheless.

Everyone is a hypocrite

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This is a very good reading, and Homewood makes it easy to listen to this French classic, translated by C. K. Scott Moncrieff. I had started Stendhal’s ‘Charterhouse of Parma’ and had struggled to get into it, and found this more accessible. The story is fairly episodic, following Julien through various interesting situations regarding matters of the heart and the purse. I sometimes found the story a bit too meandering for my liking, but it was always good to listen to.

Episodic story about love and ambition

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A timeless classic whose themes continue to resonate in the XXI century. Wonderfully narrated by Bill Homewood. Highly recommended.

Great Audiobook of a French Classic

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What made the experience of listening to The Red and the Black the most enjoyable?

Bill Homewood's reading....

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Red and the Black?

The protagonist's experience in the seminary.

Have you listened to any of Bill Homewood’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I listened to "The count of Monte Cristo". I just wish this one was as long so I could keep listening.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

Please convince Mr. Homewood to do more readings of classics.

Wonderful reading....

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Powerfully unique depiction of a character Julien Sorel, son of a carpenter (like Jesus) who rises and falls with alacrity.

Unique

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I thought I would enjoy this book as it is read by Bill Homewood who is one of the best around. Unfortunately the Leading character Julien did not live up to the review of this book and as far as I'm concerned did not get into any "scrapes" unless you count his two dalliances which became tedious in the extreme and was too long and far too verbose. By the end I didn't care what happened to him, the narrator alone kept me going until the end.

Repetitive...

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