Writer Stendhal biography. Education at the Central School and time spent in Paris

Frederik Stendhal is one of the most significant figures in world literature. He is not only the author of novels, biographies, aphorisms and cycle travel notes in Italy, dedicated to various areas of life, but also the founder of "psychological novels", when realism began to address the state of the inner world ordinary person with their own problems.

Childhood and youth

Marie-Henri Bayle (this is the real name of the writer) was born on January 23, 1783 in the small town of Grenoble in southeastern France. His father, Sheruben Beyle, was a lawyer. Mother Henriette Bayle died when the boy was only 7 years old. The upbringing of the son fell on the shoulders of the father and aunt.

But they did not develop a warm trusting relationship. The grandfather Henri Gagnon became the mentor and educator of the future famous French writer. Stendhal's quote about him:

“I was brought up entirely by my dear grandfather, Henri Gagnon. This rare person once made a pilgrimage to Ferney to see Voltaire, and was well received by him.

The boy came to the local central school with an extensive store of knowledge. The home education given by his grandfather was so good that Marie-Henri studied there for only 3 years. At school he great attention gave Latin, exact sciences and philosophy. In addition, he closely followed the French Revolution and fortifications.

In 1799, Stendhal left school and went to Paris. His goal was originally to enter the Polytechnic School, but the ideas of the revolution did not leave his mind. Therefore, the young man goes to serve in the army, where he receives the rank of sub-lieutenant. After some time, thanks to family ties, the writer was transferred to Italy. From that time on, love for this country begins, which will sweep through his whole life and become one of the main themes of his work.

At one time, Marie-Henri visits Germany and Austria. Each trip was commemorated by taking notes detailing the arts, especially music, painting, and poetry. The third part of these notes was irretrievably lost while crossing the Berezina.

However, after some time, the situation changes dramatically. Stendhal was disappointed: Napoleon's policy in fact turned out to be completely different. So he decides to retire from the army and return to France. After that, the writer settled in Paris. He devotes his time to the study of philology (including English), as well as philosophy.

Creation

After Napoleon fell, the Bourbon dynasty returned to the French throne. Stendhal refused to recognize this power, so he leaves his homeland and leaves for Milan. He will stay there for 7 years. At this time, they are born early works writer: "Biographies of Haydn, Mozart and Metastasio", "History of Painting in Italy", "Rome, Naples and Florence in 1817". This is how the pseudonym appeared, which in fact is the hometown of Johann Winckelmann - Stendal. He would come to the realistic direction only in the 1920s.

During his life in Italy, Stendhal managed to get closer to the society of the Carbonari. But because of the persecution, he had to urgently return to his homeland. At first, things went badly: the writer gained a dubious reputation, because unflattering rumors about friendship with representatives of the Carbonari reached France. The writer had to be as careful as possible in order to continue literary activity. In 1822, the book "On Love" was published, changing the idea of ​​the writer's personality.

Debut realistic novel"Armans" was published in 1827, and a couple of years later - the short story "Vanina Vanini", which tells about the forbidden relationship between the daughter of an Italian aristocrat and an arrested carbonari. There is a 1961 film adaptation directed by Roberto Rossellini. Next to this work is the “Abbates of Castro”, which is part of the Italian chronicles.

In 1830, Stendhal wrote one of his most famous novels, Red and Black. The plot was based on a story that got on the pages of newspapers in the section crime chronicle. Although the work was later called a classic, in fact, Stendhal had a hard time with creativity. He didn't have permanent job and money, which negatively affected his peace of mind. Today, the novel is very famous, it was taken 7 times for filming films and TV shows.

In the same year, the writer begins new life. He enters the service of the consulate of Trieste, followed by a transfer to Civitavecchia, where the novelist will stay for the rest of his life. He practically abandoned literature. The work took a lot of time, and the city did not provide inspiration for creativity. The most significant work of this period was The Parma Monastery, the last completed novel published during the writer's lifetime. The rapidly developing disease took the last strength.

Personal life

In his personal life, the writer was very unlucky. Women who met Stendhal on life path didn't stay long. He was very loving, but his feelings often remained unrequited. The writer did not want to tie the knot, because he was already firmly connected with literature. He didn't have children.

A deep imprint in the writer's heart was left by the wife of General Jan Dembowski (a Pole by nationality) - Matilda Viscontini. It is to her that the book "About Love" is dedicated. Matilda became colder towards Beyle, and the fire inside him was kindled. It is not known how this story would have ended, but Stendhal was forced to leave for England, hiding from the authorities. Viscontini is dying at this time. She was thirty-five years old.

Death

Every year the novelist got worse. Doctors diagnosed him with syphilis, forbade him to travel outside the city and keep a pen to write works. Stendhal can no longer write books on his own, he needs help. Therefore, he dictates his works to be transferred to paper. Prescribed medicines gradually took away the last forces. But a week before the fatal day, the dying man was allowed to go to Paris to say goodbye.

Stendhal dies in the French capital while walking through the streets of the city, in 1842. in a mystical way he himself predicts such a death a few years before. Today, the cause of death, scientists indicate a stroke. It was the second blow, so the body could not stand it. In his will, the writer expressed his last will regarding the tombstone. There should be an epitaph in Italian:

"Arrigo Bayle. Milanese. He wrote, he loved, he lived.

Stendhal's will was fulfilled only half a century later, when his grave was identified in the Montmartre cemetery, in the northern region of Paris.

Quotes by Stendhal

"The flexibility of the mind can replace beauty."

"You can't be called a politician if you don't have patience and the ability to control your anger."

“Almost all the unhappiness in life comes from a false idea of ​​what happens to us. Hence, deep knowledge people and sound judgment about events brings us closer to happiness.

“Romanticism is the art of giving nations such literary works which, in the present state of their customs and beliefs, can give them the greatest pleasure.

Bibliography

• 1827 - "Armans"
• 1829 - "Vanina Vanini"
• 1830 - "Red and Black"
• 1832 - "Memoirs of an Egoist"
• 1834 - Lucien Leven"
• 1835 - "The Life of Henri Brular"
• 1839 - "Lamiel"
• 1839 - "Excessive favor is fatal"
• 1839 - "Parma Convent"

An outstanding master of psychological realism. The originality of his work is primarily in the desire to comprehensively and deeply reproduce the process of the intense and contradictory life of the human heart. In his novels and

Stendhal's novels truthfully portrayed the inner world of a person, the dialectic of her feelings, formed under the influence of the environment, upbringing and social conditions. The writer's works are characterized by conciseness in the presentation of facts and descriptions, sharpness of dialogue, artistic expressiveness and consistent development of ideas and images.

Main works: Novels "Red and Black" (1830), "Perm Monastery" (1839).

Marie-Henri Bayle, who entered world literature under the pseudonym Stendhal, was born on January 23, 1783 in Grenoble in the family of a lawyer. The families of the future writer, especially his maternal grandfather, a doctor by profession and an admirer of Voltaire, were close to educational ideas. In 1799, Henri Bayle tried to enter the École Polytechnique in Paris, but failed and accepted an offer from his influential relative, Pierre Daru, to choose a military career. Thus, the first student in mathematics at the Grenoble Central School and a passionate lover of art, the young philosopher Henri Beyle, with the rank of sub-lieutenant, went to his duty station in Milan. Impressions from the first stay in Italy (1800-1801) had great importance for the formation of the personality of the future author of "Perm Monastery" and "Red and Black".

At the end of 1801, Bayle resigned and settled in Paris to devote himself entirely to literary pursuits. He was convinced that he must master a wide range of knowledge, develop his own philosophical vision of man, the world, and art. The writer worked hard, tried to comprehend the craft of writing, but the tragedies, comedies, epic poems, and poems he created during this period are just a test of the pen. After 1806 comes a creative pause, which lasted eight years. Together with the army of Napoleon, Henri Beyle went all over Europe, became a member of the campaign in Russia, survived the retreat and the collapse of the great army.

First books. New stage creative activity the writer begins in 1814. After the fall of Napoleon, he leaves for Italy, where he writes and prepares for publication his first books: "The Lives of Haydn, Mozart and Metastasio" (1814), later "The History of Painting in Italy" (1817), where the signature Stendhal first appears. In these works, the writer was able to express in a free, emotional form his view of art, politics, history. Together, Stendhal is working on a book on analysis human feeling("About love").

Returning in 1821 p. to France, the writer was actively involved in literary controversy. His interpretation of romanticism as literature that meets the needs of the then reality, Stendhal outlined in the treatise "Racine and Shakespeare": "Romanticism is the art of giving peoples such literary works that, in the current state of their customs and beliefs, can bring them the greatest pleasure." The treatise "Racine and Shakespeare" became, in fact, the program of a new literary school, which denied the principle of classicism and demanded that literature meet the requirements of modernity.

Stendhal the novelist. In August 1827, the novel "Armans" was published, in which, according to the writer, he tried to "depict the 19th century in a story about the fate of two unfortunate people from a high aristocracy." Thus began the career of Stendhal as a novelist. The next stage of his work was a series of short stories published in the late 1920s - until the appearance of "Red and Black", begun in 1829. The most famous of the writer's short stories, included in the collection "Italian Chronicles", is "Vanina Vanini".

In 1830, Stendhal completed work on one of his Nivi-domish novels, Red and Black. The impetus for his writing was a real event: the murder of his beloved by a young ambitious man. Under the pen of the master, a separate human destiny was synthesized into the tragedy of the century, the symbol of which is the image of the talented plebeian Julien Sorel. fate young man- the writer continues to develop his contemporary in subsequent novels - "Lucien Leven" (1834), "Perm Monastery" (1839), autobiographical works - "Memoirs of an Egoist" (1832), "The Life of Henri Brular" (1836).

Between Rome and Paris. On September 25, 1830, Stendhal received an official letter appointing him French consul in Trieste, an area that belonged to Austria, and soon left for his destination. However, he had to serve in Civita Vecchiu, a small port near Rome. For four years, the writer performed consular duties in this town, occasionally coming to France. “The only thing I regret,” he wrote in his biography in 1835, “is life in Paris, but I would be tired of Paris in 1836, as tired of my loneliness among the savages of Civita Vecchiu.” The life of the writer was cut short by an apoplexy on a Parisian boulevard on March 23, 1842.

One of the most prominent French writers XIX century, Henri Marie Bayle, who wrote under the pseudonym "Stendhal", during his lifetime did not enjoy either critical recognition or success with the general reader. Almost all of his numerous works of an artistic, historical and critical nature have gone unnoticed, only occasionally causing reviews, which are far from always favorable. Nevertheless, Merimee, who was influenced by Stendhal, highly appreciated him, Balzac admired him, Goethe and Pushkin read his novel Red and Black with pleasure.

Stendhal's destiny was posthumous fame. His friend and executor, Romain Colombe, undertook a complete edition of his works in the 1850s, including journal articles and correspondence. Since that time, Stendhal entered French literature as one of its largest representatives.

The school of French realists of the 50s recognized him, along with Balzac, as their teacher; I. Ten, one of the inspirers of French naturalism, wrote an enthusiastic article about him (1864); E. Zola considered him a representative of a new novel, in which a person is studied in his deep connection with the social environment. Began scientific study Stendhal, mainly his biography. In the 1880s, his autobiographical works, rough sketches, unfinished stories that R. Colomb did not include in his edition. Already in the 19th century, his novels were translated into many languages.

In Russia, Stendhal was appreciated very early, earlier than in his homeland. A.S. Pushkin and some of his contemporaries paid attention to "Red and Black". L. Tolstoy spoke very positively about him, who was especially struck by the military scenes of the Parma Monastery. Gorky considered him one of the greatest masters of the European novel. IN Soviet Russia all the works of Stendhal were translated into Russian, up to unfinished passages, and his novels and short stories were reprinted dozens of times. His main works have been translated into many other languages ​​of the countries. former USSR. Stendhal is undoubtedly one of our most beloved foreign writers.

Henri Marie Bayle was born in the south of France, in the city of Grenoble. Stendhal's father, Scherubin Beyle, a lawyer at the local parliament, and grandfather, Henri Gagnon, a doctor and public figure, like most of the French intelligentsia of the XVIII century, were fascinated by the ideas of the Enlightenment. Father had in his library " big encyclopedia sciences and arts" compiled by Diderot and D-Alembert, and was fond of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Grandfather was a fan of Voltaire and a convinced Voltairian. But with the beginning of the French Revolution (1789), their views changed a lot. The family was wealthy, and the deepening of the revolution frightened her. Father Stendhal even had to go into hiding, and he ended up on the side of the old regime.

After the death of Stendhal's mother, the family went into mourning for a long time. The father and grandfather fell into piety, and the upbringing of the boy was transferred to the priest, who was hiding under the hospitable roof of Bailey. This priest, Abbot Raljan, whom Stendhal recalled with indignation in his memoirs, tried in vain to instill religious views in his pupil.

In 1796, Stendhal entered the Central School that opened in Grenoble. The task of these schools, founded in some provincial cities, was to introduce state and secular education in the republic in order to replace the former private and religious education. They were supposed to equip the younger generation with useful knowledge and ideology, corresponding to the interests of the emerging bourgeois state. At the Central School, Stendhal became interested in mathematics and at the end of the course he was sent to Paris to enter the Polytechnic School, which trained military engineers and artillery officers.

But he never entered the Polytechnic School. He arrived in Paris a few days after the coup of 18 Brumaire, when the young General Bonaparte seized power and declared himself First Consul. Preparations immediately began for a campaign in Italy, where reaction again triumphed and Austrian rule was established. Stendhal was enrolled as a sub-lieutenant in a dragoon regiment and went to his duty station in Italy. He served in the army for more than two years, however, he did not have to participate in a single battle. He then resigned and returned to Paris in 1802 with the secret intention of becoming a writer.

For almost three years, Stendhal lived in Paris, stubbornly studying philosophy, literature and English. In fact, only here he receives his first real education. He gets acquainted with modern French sensualistic and materialistic philosophy and becomes a staunch enemy of the church and all mysticism in general. While Bonaparte was preparing the imperial throne for himself, Stendhal hated the monarchy for life. In 1799, during the coup of 18 Brumaire, he was pleased that General Bonaparte "became king of France"; in 1804, the coronation of Napoleon, for which the Pope arrived in Paris, seems to Stendhal an obvious "union of all deceivers."

Meanwhile, I had to think about making money. Many of the comedies started by Stendhal remained unfinished, and he decided to earn a living by commerce. After serving for about a year in some trading enterprise in Marseilles and feeling forever disgusted with trade, he decided to return to military service. In 1805, continuous wars with the European coalition began again, and Stendhal was enrolled in the commissariat. Since that time, he continuously travels around Europe following the army of Napoleon. In 1806, he enters with the French troops in Berlin, in 1809 - in Vienna. In 1811 he spends his holidays in Italy, where he conceives his book History of Painting in Italy. In 1812, Stendhal, of his own free will, went to the army, which had already invaded Russia, entered Moscow, saw the fire of the ancient Russian capital and fled with the remnants of the army to France, retaining memories of the heroic resistance of the Russian troops and the valor of the Russian people for a long time. In 1814, he was present at the occupation of Paris by Russian troops and, having received his resignation, left for Italy, which was then under Austrian oppression.

He settles in Milan, in the city he fell in love with back in 1800, and has been living here almost without a break for about seven years. As a retired Napoleonic officer, he receives a half pension, which allows him to somehow survive in Milan, but is not enough to live in Paris.

In Italy, Stendhal publishes his first work - three biographies: "Biography of Haydn, Mozart and Metastasio" (1814).

In 1814, Stendhal first got acquainted with the romantic movement in Germany, mainly from the book by A.V. dramatic literature", just translated into French. Accepting Schlegel's idea of ​​the need for decisive literary reform and the fight against classicism for the sake of a freer and more contemporary art, however, he does not sympathize with the religious and mystical tendencies of German romanticism and cannot agree with Schlegel in his criticism of the whole French literature and enlightenment. Since 1816, Stendhal has been fascinated by Byron's poems, in which he sees an expression of modern public interests and social protest. Italian romanticism, emerging around the same time and closely associated with the Italian national liberation movement, arouses his ardent sympathy. All this was reflected in Stendhal's next book, The History of Painting in Italy (1817), in which he most fully outlined his aesthetic views.

At the same time, Stendhal publishes the book "Rome, Naples and Florence" (1817), in which he tries to characterize Italy, its political situation, customs, culture and Italian national character. To make this picture whole country bright and convincing, he sketches lively scenes modern life and retells historical episodes, revealing the brilliant talent of the narrator.

Since 1820, the persecution of the Italian Carbonari began. Some Italian acquaintances of Stendhal were arrested and imprisoned in Austrian prisons. Terror reigned in Milan. Stendhal decided to return to Paris. In June 1821, he arrived at home and immediately plunged into an atmosphere of stormy political and literary struggle.

At this time, reaction began again with extraordinary force in France. Villelle's ministry, loyal to the king, carried out activities that deeply resented the liberals. Taking advantage of the meager "freedoms" represented by the constitution, the liberals fought in the chambers, in the press, on the stages of theaters. Public figures and organs of the press, who until recently had been loyal to the king, went over to the opposition. In 1827, after an election that gave the Liberals a majority, the Villelle government resigned. But Charles X did not want to give in and decided to carry out a coup d'état in order to fully restore absolutism. As a result, a revolution broke out in Paris, throwing off the old monarchy in three days.

Stendhal was keenly interested in the political struggle going on in France. The restoration of the Bourbons aroused his indignation. Arriving in Paris, he openly took part in the struggle of the liberals against reaction.

In Paris, life was more expensive than in Milan, and Stendhal had to do daily literature for the sake of earning money: write small articles for French and English magazines. He barely found time to write a novel.

His first work, printed after returning to Paris, was the book "On Love" (1822). This book is a psychological treatise in which Stendhal tried to characterize different kinds love, common in certain classes of society and in various historical eras.

During the restoration in France, there was a dispute between the classics and the romantics. Stendhal took part in these disputes by printing two pamphlets "Racine and Shakespeare" (1823 and 1825). The pamphlets attracted the attention of literary circles and played their part in the struggle between the two literary trends.

In 1826, Stendhal wrote his first novel - "Armans" (1827), which depicts modern France, its " elite", idle, limited in interests, thinking only about their own benefits, the aristocracy. However, this work of Stendhal, despite its artistic merits, did not attract the attention of readers.

It was one of the most difficult periods in Stendhal's life. The political state of the country plunged him into despondency, financial situation very difficult: work in English magazines ceased, and books did not give almost any income. Personal affairs drove him to despair. At this time, he was asked to compile a guide to Rome. Stendhal happily agreed and in a short time wrote the book "Walks in Rome" (1829) - in the form of a story about a small group of French tourists traveling to Italy.

Impressions from modern Rome formed the basis of Stendhal's story "Vanina Vanini, or some details about the last venta of the Carbonari discovered in the Papal States." The story was published in 1829.

In the same year, Stendhal began writing his novel Red and Black, which made his name immortal. The novel was published in November 1830 with the date "1831". At this time, Stendhal was no longer in France.

Among the wealthy bourgeoisie, greed and the desire to imitate the upper classes dominate - original and political mores can only be found among the people. Passions can be noticed only when they break through in some act punishable by law. That is why, in the eyes of Stendhal, the "Judicial Gazette" is an important document to study. modern society. He found the problem he was interested in in this newspaper. This is how one of the best works of Stendhal appeared: "Red and Black". The subtitle of the novel is "Chronicle of the 19th century". This "century" should be understood as the period of the Restoration, since the novel was begun and mostly written before the July Revolution. The term "Chronicle" here denotes a true story about the society of the Restoration era.

M. Gorky remarkably characterized this novel: "Stendhal was the first writer who, almost on the day after the victory of the bourgeoisie, began to perceptively and vividly portray the signs of the inevitability of the internal social decay of the bourgeoisie and its dull myopia."

On July 28, 1830, on the day of the July Revolution, Stendhal was delighted to see a tricolor banner on the streets of Paris. In the history of France came new era: the big financial bourgeoisie came to power. Stendhal quickly unraveled the deceiver and strangler of freedom in the new King Louis Philippe, and considered the former liberals who joined the July Monarchy as renegades. However, he entered the civil service and soon became French consul in Italy, first to Trieste and then to Civita Vecchia, a seaport near Rome. Stendhal remained in this position until his death. Most he spent years in Rome and often went to Paris.

In 1832, he began his memoirs about his stay in Paris from 1821 to 1830 - "Reminiscence of an Egotist", in 1835 - 1836 - an extensive autobiography, brought only up to 1800 - "The Life of Henri Brular". In 1834, Stendhal wrote several chapters of Lucien Leven, which also remained unfinished. At the same time, he became interested in the old Italian chronicles he accidentally found, which he decided to process into short stories. But even this plan was realized only a few years later: the first chronicle "Vittoria Accoramboni" appeared in 1837.

During a long vacation in Paris, Stendhal published "Notes of a Tourist" - a book about his travels in France, and a year later the novel "Parma Monastery" was published, which reflected his excellent knowledge of Italy (1839). It was the last work he published. The novel he worked on for the last years of his life, Lamiel, remained unfinished and was published many years after his death.

Stendhal's worldview in general terms took shape already in 1802-1805, when he read with great enthusiasm the French philosophers of the 18th century - Helvetius, Holbach, Montesquieu, as well as their more or less consistent successors - the philosopher Destut de Tracy, the creator of the science of the origin of concepts , and Kabanis, a doctor who argued that mental processes depend on physiological processes.

Stendhal does not believe in the existence of God, religious prohibitions and into the afterlife, rejects the ascetic morality and the morality of submission. He strives to verify every concept that he encounters in life and in books with the data of experience, with personal analysis. On the basis of sensationalist philosophy, he also builds his ethics, or rather, he borrows it from Galventius. If there is only one source of knowledge - our sensations, then any morality that is not connected with sensation, that does not grow out of it, should be rejected. The desire for fame, the well-deserved approval of others, according to Stendhal, is one of the strongest incentives for human behavior.

Subsequently, Stendhal's views evolved: some indifference to public affairs, characteristic of him in the era of the Empire, was replaced by an ardent interest in them. Under the influence of political events and liberal theories during the Restoration, Stendhal began to think that a constitutional monarchy was an inevitable stage on the way from the despotism of the Empire to the Republic, etc. But for all that Political Views Stendhal remained unchanged.

A characteristic feature of modern French society, Stendhal believed, is hypocrisy. This is the government's fault. It is it that forces the French to hypocrisy. No one in France no longer believes in the dogmas of Catholicism, but everyone must pretend to be a believer. No one sympathizes with the reactionary politics of the Bourbons, but everyone should welcome them. So school bench he learns to be hypocritical and sees in this the only means of existence and the only opportunity to calmly go about his business.

Stendhal was a passionate hater of religion and especially the clergy. The power of the church over the minds seemed to him the most terrible form of despotism. In his novel Red and Black, he portrayed the clergy as social force fighting on the side of the reaction. He showed how future priests are brought up in the seminary, instilling in them crudely utilitarian and selfish ideas and by all means winning them over to the side of the government.

The impact of Stendhal's work on further development Literature was wide and many figuratively. The reason for this world fame lies in the fact that Stendhal, with extraordinary insight, revealed the main, leading features of modernity, the contradictions that tear it apart, the forces fighting in it, the psychology of the complex and restless 19th century, all those features of the relationship between man and society that were not characteristic of France alone.

With a deep truthfulness that makes him one of the greatest realists, he showed the movement of his era, freeing itself from the bonds of feudalism, from the domination of the capitalist elite, making its way towards still vague, but inevitably attracting democratic ideals. With each novel, the scope of his images increased, and social contradictions appeared in great complexity and intransigence.

The beloved heroes of Stendhal cannot accept the forms of life that took shape in the 19th century as a result of the revolution that led to the rule of the bourgeoisie. They cannot reconcile themselves with the society in which feudal traditions have ugly reckoned with the triumphant "chistogan". The preaching of independence of thought, energy that rejects ridiculous prohibitions and traditions, the heroic principle, which is trying to break through to action in a stagnant and rough environment, is hidden in this revolutionary in nature, excitingly truthful creativity.

That is why even now, so many years after Stendhal's death, his works are read in all countries by millions of people whom he helps to understand life, appreciate the truth and fight for a better future. That is why our reader recognizes him as one of the major artists XIX century, who made an invaluable contribution to world literature.

Frederik Stendhal - pseudonym Henri Marie Bayle, a famous French writer who is one of the founders of the genre psychological novel, one of the most prominent writers France XIX V. During his lifetime, he gained fame less as a novelist and more as a writer of books about Italian sights. He was born on January 23, 1783 in Grenoble. His father, a wealthy lawyer who lost his wife early (Henri Marie was 7 years old) did not pay enough attention to raising his son.

As a pupil of Abbot Ralyana, Stendhal was imbued with antipathy to religion and the church. Passion for the works of Holbach, Diderot and other philosophers of the Enlightenment, as well as the First French revolution had a huge impact on the formation of Stendhal's views. All later life he remained faithful to the revolutionary ideals and defended them with such determination as none of his fellow writers who lived in the nineteenth century did.

For three years, Henri studied at the Central School of Grenoble, and in 1799 he left for Paris, intending to become a student at the Polytechnic School. However, Napoleon's coup made such a strong impression on him that he signed up for the army. Young Henri ended up in the Italian North, and this country will forever remain in his heart. In 1802, filled with disappointment in Napoleon's policies, he resigned, settled for three years in Paris, read a lot, becoming a frequenter of literary salons and theaters, while dreaming of a career as a playwright. In 1805 he was again in the army, but this time as a quartermaster. Accompanying troops on military campaigns until 1814, he, in particular, took part in the battles of the Napoleonic army in Russia in 1812.

Having a negative attitude towards the return of the monarchy in the person of the Bourbons, Stendhal resigns after the defeat of Napoleon and moves to Italian Milan for seven years, where his first books appear: The Life of Haydn, Mozart and Metastasio (published in 1817), as well as research "Rome, Naples and Florence" and the two-volume "History of Painting in Italy".

The persecution of the Carbonari that began in the country in 1820 forced Stendhal to return to France, but rumors about his "suspicious" connections did him a disservice, forcing him to behave extremely cautiously. Stendhal collaborates with English magazines without signing publications with his name. A number of works appeared in Paris, in particular, the treatise "Racine and Shakespeare" published in 1823, which became the manifesto of the French romantics. These years in his biography were quite difficult. The writer was filled with pessimism, his financial situation depended on episodic earnings, he wrote a will more than once during this time.

When the July Monarchy was established in France, in 1830 Stendhal got the opportunity to enter the civil service. King Louis appointed him consul in Trieste, but unreliability allowed him to take this position only in Civita Vecchia. Having an atheistic outlook, sympathizing with revolutionary ideas, and writing works imbued with the spirit of protest, it was equally difficult for him to live in France and Italy.

From 1836 to 1839 Stendhal was in Paris on a long vacation, during which his last famous novel- "Parma monastery". During another vacation, this time a short one, he came to Paris for just a few days, and there he had a stroke. This happened in the autumn of 1841, and on March 22, 1842, he died. Last years life was overshadowed by a difficult physical condition, weakness, inability to fully work: this is how syphilis manifested itself, which Stendhal contracted in his youth. Unable to write himself and dictating texts, Henri Marie Bayle continued to compose until his death.

Biography from Wikipedia

Marie-Henri Bayle(French Marie-Henri Beyle; January 23, 1783, Grenoble - March 23, 1842, Paris) - French writer, one of the founders of the psychological novel. He appeared in print under various pseudonyms, published the most important works under the name Stendhal (Stendhal). During his lifetime, he was known not so much as a novelist, but as the author of books about the sights of Italy.

early years

Henri Beyle (pseudonym Stendhal) was born on January 23, 1783 in Grenoble in the family of the lawyer Sheruben Beyle. Henriette Bayle, the writer's mother, died when the boy was seven years old. Therefore, his aunt Serafi and his father were engaged in his upbringing. Little Henri did not work out with them. Only his grandfather Henri Gagnon treated the boy warmly and attentively. Later, in his autobiography, The Life of Henri Brular, Stendhal recalled: “I was brought up entirely by my dear grandfather, Henri Gagnon. This rare person once made a pilgrimage to Ferney to see Voltaire, and was well received by him ... " Henri Gagnon was an admirer of the Enlightenment and introduced Stendhal to the work of Voltaire, Diderot and Helvetius. Since then, Stendhal has developed an aversion to clericalism. Due to the fact that Henri, as a child, encountered the Jesuit Rayyan, who forced him to read the Bible, he experienced horror and distrust of the clergy all his life.

While studying at the Grenoble central school, Henri followed the development of the revolution, although he hardly understood its importance. He studied at school for only three years, having mastered, according to his own confession only Latin. In addition, he was fond of mathematics, logic, philosophy, studied art history.

In 1799, Henri traveled to Paris with the intention of enrolling in the Ecole Polytechnique. But instead, inspired by Napoleon's coup, he enters the service in the army. He was enrolled as a sub-lieutenant in a dragoon regiment. Influential relatives from the Daru family secured an appointment for Beyle to the north of Italy, and the young man fell in love with this country forever. Freemasonry historian A. Mellor believes that "Stendhal's Freemasonry did not become widely publicized, although he belonged to the order for some time."

In 1802, gradually disillusioned with Napoleon, he resigned and lived for the following years. three years in Paris, doing self-education, studying philosophy, literature and English. As follows from the diaries of that time, the future Stendhal dreamed of a career as a playwright, the "new Molière". Having fallen in love with actress Melanie Loison, the young man followed her to Marseille. In 1805 he returned to serve in the army again, but this time as a quartermaster. As an officer of the quartermaster service of the Napoleonic army, Henri visited Italy, Germany, Austria. On campaigns, he found time for reflection and wrote notes on painting and music. He filled thick notebooks with his notes. Some of these notebooks perished while crossing the Berezina.

In 1812, Henri took part in Napoleon's Russian campaign. He visited Orsha, Smolensk, Vyazma, and witnessed the Battle of Borodino. I saw how Moscow burned, although he had no actual combat experience.

Literary activity

After the fall of Napoleon, the future writer, who negatively perceived the Restoration and the Bourbons, resigned and left for seven years in Italy, in Milan. It was here that he prepared for printing and wrote his first books: "The Lives of Haydn, Mozart and Metastasio" (1815), "The History of Painting in Italy" (1817), "Rome, Naples and Florence in 1817". Large portions of the text in these books are borrowed from the works of other authors.

Claiming the laurels of the new Winckelmann, Henri Beyle takes the name hometown this author. In Italy, Henry is moving closer to the Republicans - the Carbonari. Here he experienced a hopeless love for Matilda Viscontini, the wife of the Polish General J. Dembowski, who died early, but left a mark on his heart forever.

In 1820, the persecution of the Carbonari, including Stendhal's friends, began in Italy, forcing him to return to his homeland two years later. Disgust for the reactionary Austrian regime, which established its dominance in the north of Italy, he would later convey on the pages of the novel The Parma Monastery. Paris met the writer unfriendly, as rumors about his dubious Italian acquaintances got here, he has to be very careful. He is published in English magazines without signing his articles. Only a hundred years later the author of these articles was identified. In 1822, he published the book "On Love" in various historical eras. In 1823, a manifesto of French romanticism, the treatise Racine and Shakespeare, was published in Paris.

In the 1920s, Stendhal acquired literary salons reputation as a tireless and witty debater. In the same years, he creates several works that testify to his movement towards realism. Publishes his first novel "Armans" (1827), the story "Vanina Vanini" (1829). In the same 1829, he was offered to create a guide to Rome, he responded, and so the book Walks in Rome appeared, which is a story of French travelers about a trip to Italy. In 1830, the novel "Red and Black" was published, based on the incident, which the author read about in the newspaper section of the criminal chronicle. These years were quite difficult in the life of a writer who did not have a permanent income. He drew pistols in the margins of his manuscripts and wrote numerous wills.

Late period

After the establishment of the July Monarchy in France on July 28, 1830, Stendhal entered the public service. He was appointed French consul in Trieste and then in Civitavecchia, where he would serve as consul until his death. In this port town, the Parisian was bored and lonely, the bureaucratic routine left little time for literary pursuits. To unwind, he often traveled to Rome. In 1832 he began to write "Memoirs of an Egotist", and after another 2 years he took up the novel "Lucien Leven", which he later abandoned. From 1835 to 1836 he was fascinated by writing an autobiographical novel, The Life of Henri Brular.

Having secured a long vacation for himself, Stendhal spent three fruitful years in Paris from 1836 to 1839. During this time, Notes of a Tourist (published in 1838) and the last novel, The Parma Convent, were written. (Stendhal, if he did not invent the word "tourism", was the first to introduce it into wide circulation). The attention of the general reading public to the figure of Stendhal in 1840 was attracted by one of the most popular French novelists, Balzac, in his "Study of Bale". Shortly before his death, the diplomatic department granted the writer a new vacation, which allowed him to last time return to Paris.

In recent years, the writer was in a very serious condition: the disease progressed. In his diary, he wrote that he was taking mercury preparations and potassium iodide for treatment, and that at times he was so weak that he could hardly hold a pen, and therefore had to dictate texts. Mercury preparations are known by many side effects. The assumption that Stendhal died of syphilis does not have sufficient evidence. In the 19th century, there was no relevant diagnosis of this disease (for example, gonorrhea was considered the initial stage of the disease, there were no microbiological, histological, cytological and other studies) - on the one hand. On the other hand, a number of figures European culture were considered dead from syphilis - Heine, Beethoven, Turgenev and many others. In the second half of the 20th century, this point of view was revised. Thus, for example, Heinrich Heine is now regarded as suffering from one of the rare neurological ailments (more precisely, a rare form of one of the ailments).

March 23, 1842 Stendhal, having lost consciousness, fell right on the street and died a few hours later. Death was most likely due to a second stroke. Two years earlier, he suffered his first stroke, accompanied by severe neurological symptoms, including aphasia.

Stendhal was buried in the Montmartre cemetery.

In his will, the writer asked to write on the tombstone (performed in Italian):

Arrigo Bayle

Milanese

Wrote. I loved. Lived.

Artworks

Fiction is a small fraction of what Bayle wrote and published. In order to earn his living, at the dawn of his literary activity, he in a great hurry "created biographies, treatises, memoirs, memoirs, travel essays, articles, even original" guides "and wrote books of this kind much more than novels or short stories" ( D. V. Zatonsky).

His travel essays "Rome, Naples et Florence" ("Rome, Naples and Florence"; 1818; 3rd ed. 1826) and "Promenades dans Rome" ("Walks in Rome", 2 vol. 1829) throughout the 19th century used success with travelers in Italy (although the main estimates from the standpoint of today's science seem hopelessly outdated). Stendhal also owns the "History of Painting in Italy" (vol. 1-2; 1817), "Notes of a Tourist" (fr. "Mémoires d "un touriste", vol. 1-2, 1838), the famous treatise "On Love" ( published in 1822).

Novels and short stories

• The first novel - "Armans" (fr. "Armance", vol. 1-3, 1827) - about a girl from Russia who receives the inheritance of a repressed Decembrist, was not successful.
• "Vanina Vanini" (fr. "Vanina Vanini", 1829) - a story about the fatal love of an aristocrat and a carbonaria, filmed in 1961 by Roberto Rossellini
• “Red and Black” (French “Le Rouge et le Noir”; 2 volumes, 1830; 6 hours, 1831; Russian translation by A. N. Pleshcheev in “Notes of the Fatherland”, 1874) - major work Stendhal, the first career novel in European literature; was highly appreciated by major writers, including Pushkin and Balzac, but at first he was not successful with the general public.
• In the adventure novel "The Parma Monastery" ( "La Chartreuse de Parme"; 2 vol. 1839-1846) Stendhal gives a fascinating description of court intrigues in a small Italian court; the Ruritanian tradition of European literature goes back to this work.

Unfinished artwork

• The novel "Red and White", or "Lucien Leuwen" (fr. "Lucien Leuwen", 1834-1836, published 1929).
• The autobiographical novels The Life of Henri Brulard (French Vie de Henry Brulard, 1835, ed. 1890) and Memoirs of an Egotist (French Souvenirs d "égotisme", 1832, ed. 1892), an unfinished novel, were also published posthumously. "Lamiel" (fr. "Lamiel", 1839-1842, ed. 1889, in full 1928) and "Excessive favor is fatal" (1839, ed. 1912-1913).

Italian stories

Sorting through the archives of the Papal State of the Renaissance, Stendhal discovered many romantic stories that in the 1830s. prepared for publication under the title "Italian Chronicles" (fr. "Chroniques italiennes"). standalone edition of these stories followed in 1855.

Editions

• The complete works of Bayle in 18 volumes (Paris, 1855-1856), as well as two volumes of his correspondence (1857), were published by Prosper Mérimée.
• Sobr. op. ed. A. A. Smirnova and B. G. Reizova, vol. 1-15, Leningrad - Moscow, 1933-1950.
• Sobr. op. in 15 vols. General ed. and intro. Art. B. G. Reizova, vol. 1-15, Moscow, 1959.
• Stendhal (Beyl A.M.). Moscow in the first two days of the entry of the French into it in 1812. (From Stendhal's diary) / Communication. V. Gorlenko, note. P. I. Barteneva // Russian archive, 1891. - Book. 2. - Issue. 8. - S. 490-495.

Characteristics of creativity

Stendhal expressed his aesthetic credo in the articles "Racine and Shakespeare" (1822, 1825) and "Walter Scott and the Princess of Cleves" (1830). In the first of them, he interprets romanticism not as a concrete historical phenomenon inherent in early XIX century, but as a revolt of innovators of any era against the conventions of the previous period. The standard of romanticism for Stendhal is Shakespeare, who "teaches movement, variability, the unpredictable complexity of world perception." In the second article, he abandons the Walter-Scottian inclination to describe "the clothes of the heroes, the landscape in which they are, their features." According to the writer, it is much more productive in the tradition of Madame de Lafayette "to describe the passions and various feelings that excite their souls."

Like other romantics, Stendhal longed for strong feelings, but could not turn a blind eye to the triumph of philistinism that followed the overthrow of Napoleon. The age of the Napoleonic marshals - figures in their own way as bright and integral as the condottieri of the Renaissance - was replaced by "the loss of personality, the drying up of character, the disintegration of the individual." Just like other French 19th writers centuries, looking for an antidote to vulgar everyday life in a romantic escape to the East, to Africa, less often to Corsica or Spain, Stendhal created for himself an idealized image of Italy as a world that, in his view, preserved direct historical continuity with the Renaissance, dear to his heart.

Significance and influence

At the time when Stendhal formulated his aesthetic views, European prose was entirely under the spell of Walter Scott. Leading writers favored unhurried narrative development with lengthy exposition and lengthy descriptions designed to immerse the reader in the environment in which the action takes place. The mobile, dynamic prose of Stendhal was ahead of its time. He himself predicted that it would not be appreciated before 1880. André Gide and Maxim Gorky described Stendhal's novels as "letters to the future".

Indeed, the revival of interest in Stendhal fell on the second half of XIX century. Admirers of Stendhal derived from his works a whole theory of happiness - the so-called. Bailism, which "instructed not to miss a single opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the world, and also to live in anticipation of the unexpected, to be in constant readiness for divine unforeseen." The hedonistic pathos of Stendhal's work was inherited by one of the major French writers André Gide, and a thorough analysis of psychological motivations and a consistent deheroization of military experience allow us to consider Stendhal the immediate predecessor of Leo Tolstoy.

The psychological views of Stendhal have not lost their significance to this day. So his theory of “crystallization of love” was presented in 1983 in the form of excerpts from his text (book) “On Love” in the Reader on the Psychology of Emotions, edited by Yu. B. Gippenreiter.

Stendhal's sayings

"The only excuse for God is that he doesn't exist."

F. Stendhal. A biography (briefly) of this person will be presented to your attention below.

General information

The French writer Henri Marie Bayle (real name) was born in Grenoble in the south of France in 1783. His family was wealthy, his father was a lawyer in the local parliament. Unfortunately, the boy lost his mother at the age of 7 and his father and aunt took up his upbringing. Mourning for dead wife was so strong that his father went headlong into religion, becoming an extremely pious man.

Henri's relationship with his father did not go well. And the maternal grandfather, a doctor and supporter of education, became a close person, instilled in the future writer a love of literature. Grandfather Henri Gagnon personally met with Voltaire. It was he who introduced the future writer to the works of Diderot, Voltaire, Helvinicius, laid the foundation for education, worldview and aversion to religion. The character of F. Stendhal was distinguished by sensuality and impulsiveness, narcissism and criticism, lack of discipline.

Education and military service

Henri received his primary education at the local Grenoble school, having studied there for only three years. He was interested in philosophy and logic, art history and mathematics. At the age of 16, the young man went to Paris to enter the Polytechnic School to become a military engineer or an artillery officer.

But the whirlwind of events taking place in the country changed his plans. After the events of the Revolution, he enrolls in Napoleon's army, in a dragoon regiment. Soon he leaves the service and is engaged in self-education in Paris. His focus is on literature, philosophy and the English language. Future Writer in the diaries of that time he writes about his desire to become a playwright.

After a short service in Marseille, where he went after the actress with whom he fell in love, he enters the army as a military official.

Stendhal, whose biography is full of interesting facts, participated in Napoleon's military campaigns in Germany, Austria, Italy and Russia. On campaigns, he writes down his reflections on music and painting. As part of the Napoleonic army, he witnessed the Battle of Borodino and the fire in Moscow. Passed Orsha and Smolensk, was on Vyazma. The events of the military campaign in Russia struck him with patriotism and the greatness of the Russian people.

Trip to Italy

The defeat of Bonaparte and the restoration of the power of the Bourbons, to whom he had a negative attitude, forced Stendhal to resign and spend the next 7 years in Italian Milan. The writer falls in love with Italy, its language, opera, painting and women. Italy has become a second home for Stendhal, here he moves his heroes. He considered the temperament of the Italians natural, not like the French. In Milan, Stendhal met the poet Byron

Frederick Stendhal, whose biography was very sad, in Italy begins literary creativity and publishes the first books: "Biography of Haydn, Mozart and Metastasio" (1815) and "History of Painting in Italy" (1817).

In Italy, the Carbonari republican movement begins, which Stendhal supports and finances. But in 1820 his Carbonari friends were persecuted and he had to leave for France.

Life in Paris

Making a living writer Stendhal, whose biography was not very easy, became a job in newspapers and magazines.

But the authorities of Paris were already aware of his acquaintances. I had to print in English and French magazines without the signature of the author.

twenties of the XIX century. marked by active creativity and publications.

The book "Treatise on Love", the pamphlets "Racine and Shakespeare", the first novel "Armans" and the short story "Vanina Vanini" are published. The publishers offer to publish a guide to Rome, so the book "Walks in Rome" appears.

Stendhal showed the world the novel "Red and Black" in 1830. The time of the novel coincides with the era of restoration in which the author lived. And Stendhal read the basis for the plot in the newspaper, in the column of the criminal chronicle.

Despite the fruitful work, Stendhal's psychological and material condition leaves much to be desired. He does not have a stable income, he is haunted by thoughts of suicide. The writer writes several wills.

Diplomatic and creative work

Political changes in France in 1830 allow Stendhal to enter the civil service. He was appointed ambassador to Italy, to Trieste, and later to Civita Vecchia. At the consular work, he will end his life.

Routine, monotonous work and living in a small port town brought boredom and loneliness to Frederick. To have fun, he began to travel around Italy, go to Rome.

Living in Italy, Frederik Stendhal continues his literary activity. In 1832-1834. "Memoirs of an Egoist" and the novel "Lucien Levene" were written. Autobiographical novel The Life of Henri Brulard is published in 1836.

Period 1836-1839 F. Stendhal spends in Paris, on a long vacation. Here he writes Notes of a Tourist, published in Paris in 1838, and the last completed book, The Parma Convent.

The last years of life and creativity

Shortly before his death, the writer was able to return to Paris, securing a vacation in the office. At this time, he was already seriously ill and weak, which he could hardly write, and therefore dictated his texts.

The gloomy mood did not leave F. Stendhal. He thinks about death and foresees that he might die in the street.

And so it happened. In March 1842, the writer was taking a walk when he was struck by an apoplexy. He fell in the middle of the street and died a few hours later.

The coffin with the body of the unrecognized genius came to see only three of his friends.

French newspapers reported only about the burial in Montmartre of "an unknown German poet."

Stendhal's tombstone, at his request as a sign of love for Italy, contains a short inscription: "Henri Bayle. Milanese. Lived, wrote, loved.

Attitude towards religion and the formation of views

As a child, Stendhal was raised by the Jesuit Rayyan. After studying with him and reading the Bible, Henri hated the clergy and religion and remained an atheist for the rest of his life.

The morality of asceticism and humility is alien to him. According to the writer, hypocrisy has gripped French society. Nobody believes in dogma catholic church, but forced to take the guise of a believer. The complete mastery of the Church in the minds of the French is nothing but a manifestation of despotism.

The writer's father was a self-satisfied bourgeois, and Stendhal's world was formed on opposing views. The basis was a free person, with his own special feelings, character and dreams, not recognizing the established concepts of duty and decency.

The writer lived in an era of change, observed and participated himself. The idol of that generation was Napoleon Bonaparte. Thirst strong feelings and the energy of action constituted the atmosphere of the era. Stendhal admired the talent and courage of Napoleon, which influenced his worldview. The characters of the literary heroes of Stendhal are depicted in accordance with the spirit of the era.

Love in the life of a writer

In Italy, on his first trip, Frederik Stendhal met his hopeless and tragic love- Matilda Visconti, wife of the Polish General Dembowski. She died early, but managed to leave a mark on his life and the memory that he carried through his whole life.

In his diary, Stendhal wrote that there were 12 names of women in his life that he would like to name.

Talent Recognition

“Literary fame is a lottery,” said the writer. The biography and work of Stendhal were not interesting to his contemporaries. Proper appreciation and understanding came 100 years later, in the 20th century. Yes, he himself noted that he writes for a small number of lucky people.

Against the backdrop of Balzac's celebrity in 1840, an interesting biography of Stendhal was not known, he was not on the list of French writers.

Diligent writers of that time, now safely forgotten, were published in tens of thousands of copies. "Treatise on Love" by F. Stendhal was sold only in 20 copies. On this occasion, the author joked, calling the book a "shrine", because few people dare to touch it. The landmark novel "Red and Black" was published only once. Critics found Stendhal's novels unworthy of attention, and the characters lifeless automata.

Apparently, the reason lies in the discrepancy between the existing stereotypes in literature and the genre of his work. Predilection for individuals with absolute authority like Napoleon was against the rules of the time.

The lack of recognition during his lifetime did not prevent F. Stendhal from becoming one of the greatest short story writers of his time.

Henri Bayle took his literary pseudonym from the name of the city of Stendhal in Germany. The famous art critic Winckelmann, who lived in the 18th century, was born in this city, whose ideas influenced German romantics.

F. Stendhal called his profession: "Observation of the behavior of the human heart."

In January 1835, Stendhal was awarded the Legion of Honor.

The title of the novel "Red and Black" is symbolic and controversial; discussions among scientists and literary critics do not stop. According to one version, red is the color of the revolutionary era in which the author fell to live, and black is a symbol of reaction. Others compare red and black with a chance that determines the fate of a person. And still others see in the combination of colors the problem of choosing the protagonist Julien. To be a soldier (red), as under the Empire, or a priest (black), which is more honorable during the Restoration. The union of red and black is not only a contrast, an opposite, but also a similarity, a mutual transition of one into another, a conflict and contiguity of life and death.

Evaluation of F. Stendhal's work

Frederik Stendhal himself, short biography which was told in the article, considered himself a romantic, in his works he put in the first place the inner world and the experiences of the characters. But the inner world was based on a clear analysis, understanding social life, realistic thinking.

In his attitude to life, which was reflected in his work, Stendhal tested all events and concepts with personal experience, and experience grows out of our personal feelings and experiences. The only source of knowledge, he believed, are our feelings, therefore, there can be no morality not associated with it.

The driving force and powerful incentive for the behavior of heroes lies in the thirst for fame and condemned approval.

The creator of the realistic-psychological novel genre, Frederik Stendhal, used in his novels the theme of the opposition of young and old heroes, where youth and energy oppose stupidity and despotism. The main, beloved characters of his novels come into conflict with the society of the ruling bourgeoisie and the victorious “chistogan”. A rough social environment, full of rigid views and habits, hinders the development of independent thought and a free personality.

The writer is classified as an advanced and early practitioner of realism.

The work of F. Stendhal has two main thematic areas:

1. Italy and art books.
2. Description of French reality at the time he lived, after the French Revolution.