…Stendhal's The Red and the Black and Balzac's Lost Illusions.
Interesting Reading….
"In Honoré de Balzac's The Country Doctor, a former French soldier of the Napoleonic Wars expounds upon the immortal legacy of Napoleon Bonaparte. In his praises, the soldier
points to God as having ordained Napoleon's power and success, thus elevating the former emperor above ordinary men to a hero of Biblical proportions. More importantly, he stresses how Napoleon has left an indelible mark on the world. He implies that history, society, and culture have been forever changed by his life and influence.
Although taken from a work of fiction, this passage underscores a crucial historical fact: Napoleon's influence was potent and widespread across the continent. The accuracy of the soldier's portrayal, however, is subject to debate. Napoleon did introduce a period of relative political stability to France following the tumultuous events of the Revolution. However, the reality of his regime must be considered separately from his legacy and the memory of his reign.
Napoleon's legend is also influenced by a romantic idealization of his empire, informed by memory, history, and literature in varying degrees. A romanticized notion of Napoleon as the brilliant but tragic hero dominated the rhetoric surrounding his image throughout the nineteenth
century. This thesis explores the implications of his influence on young men during the Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830)…."
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Amicalement
Armand
