Book Information

Book ID Asin: B002X78T6U
Book Title: The Charterhouse of Parma (The classic romantic thriller!)
Book Author: Stendhal,Marie-Henri Beyle,C. K. Scott-Moncrieff
Book Format and Price:
Book Format Name: Kindle
Book Format Price: $0.99
Book Format Name: Audiobook
Book Format Price: $0.00
Book Format Name: Hardcover
Book Format Price: $41.97
Book Format Name: Paperback
Book Format Price: $11.99
Book Format Name: MassMarket Paperback
Book Format Price: $6.45
Book Format Name: AudioCD
Book Format Price: $57.99
Book Price: $1.07
Book Category: Books, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense and unknown
Book Rating: 233 ratings

Book Product Detail

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Book Review

Name: Aran Joseph Canes
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Classic in the History of Literature. But is it a Classic in Itself?
Date: Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 17, 2022
Review: It seems wrong to criticize a classic. The question of, who are you to look down on an author like Stendhal, seems apropos.

Nevertheless, while I can appreciate its role in the history of literature, I did not find the Charterhouse of Parma particularly worth reading.

It’s one of the first novels to examine the internal psychology of its characters (admired by Nietzsche), it deftly has its characters caught up in the Jacobin revolts in early nineteenth century Italy and the literati will tell you it paved the way for the realist era in literature; Zola and Balzac particularly looked to it as a watershed.

But, perhaps because it was written in a mere two months, the absurdities of the plot were just too much for me. Imagine an opera buffa with characters like Figaro and Count Almaviva going in and out of doors and you get a sense for the stretches Stendhal asks of the reader’s credulity.

As for its themes, Stendhal apparently wanted to contrast the French and Italian ethos but I found it more of a caricature of Italian spezzatura than a real portrayal. Wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re willing to accept a curious blend of wild, yet still cliche, plot twists with the other aspects that you would expect in a classic. If anyone has read it and strongly disagrees I welcome comments as maybe the ingenuity of the novel just passed me by.

Name: C. M Mills
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: The Charterhouse of Parma is a classic tale of adventure in the genre of French Romanticism by Stendhal
Date: Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 18, 2013
Review: "The Charterhouse of Parma" is a classic of French Romanticism. It's author is Stendhal (a pseudonymn of Henri de Bayle) who was present when Napoleon entered Moscow. Bayle came from Grenoble and is famous for this work and "The Red and the Black" his earlier written masterpiece. This novel was written in a marathon time of only 53 days and has been a bestseller ever since.
The Plot: The long novel of over 500 pages (well translated into English by Richard Howard in the Modern Library Edition) is one long romp of adventures, escapes Machiavellian styled political intrigue at the post-Napoleonic court of a fatuous prince of Parma. The hero of the piece is callow Fabrizio Del Dongo. Fabrizio is a somewhat dim witted lad who is present at the battle of Waterloo (one of the best descriptions of the horrors of war in all French fiction). Fabrizio grows up at his distant father's villa at Grianata on Lake Como. Stendhal's novel takes place in Parma and Lombardy and he was infatuated by the Italian way of life.
Fabrizio is mentored by two key characters: His aunt Gina Pietranera and Count Mosca her lover and a power at the Parmesian
court. Fabrizio is often in love with such luscious creatures as Marietta an actress and Clelia Conti. Clelia is the daughter of the jailer who keeps Fabrizio imprisoned in the Tower of Farnese. He is incarcerated because of his killing of Giletti a rival in love. After many complications, Fabrizio ends his day in quiet retirement at the Charterhouse of Parma.
The book is difficult to read! I found Stendhal's style to be dry and difficult to follow. He was an early experimenter at interior monolgue in the minds of his characters. The book has plenty of action, romance, intrigue and excitement. It is an essential book in one's literary appreciation of great clasics. Stendhal wrote for what he called the "happy few." Enjoy!

Name: R. Albin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very Interesting Dissection of Reaction
Date: Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 29, 2001
Review: This is an unconventional novel by the very unconventional Stendhal. Many have commented on the unusual structure of the narrative, the frequent and apparently random plot twists, and the frivolous nature of the principal character. Stendhal reportedly dictated this novel in the period of a few weeks, presumptive evidence of mania, and the brief period of composition is an often cited explanation for the sprawling nature of the narrative. This is only partially correct. The structure of narrative and the twists of the plot reflect a design aimed at making a clear point. The story begins with the broadest canvas possible, the Battle of Waterloo, and concludes with an covert and adulterous love affair and the hero's retirement to a monastery. This progression is a metaphor for Stendhal's view of Europe in the throes of Reaction against Napoleon and the ideas of the Enlightenment. Almost verything in this book is a description and indictment of Reaction. The provincial Italian society depicted by Stendhal is hermetically sealed against any novel or dissenting ideas. This is done in the interest of preserving Christian religion and the virtues of traditional society, including the rule of the aristocracy. The consequences demonstrated by Stendhal are almost the exactly the opposite of these intentions. Marriage is a hypocritical sham, religion exists either as a form of superstition for the masses or to provide careers for the aristocracy, politics is a cynical game of preferment and personal feuds. The ignoble career of the hero, and lives of other main characters, are shown to be the result of the deliberate attempt to wall off the ideas of the Enlightenment. Stendhal also takes the opportunity to ridicule the Romantic movement in a very astute manner. The Charterhouse of Parma is long, has a plot worthy of a modern soap opera, and is written in a peculiar style. It is also witty, tremendously shrewd, and at times hilarious. A remarkable book.

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