The Red and the BlackThe Red and the Black
Score Classic
What it's about
Julien Sorel, a carpenter's son in provincial France in the 1820s, is handsome, clever and burning with ambition, and he worships Napoleon. Since the army no longer offers a path upward, he chooses the Church. Hired as a tutor in a mayor's household, he seduces the mayor's wife, then moves on to Paris and an aristocrat's proud daughter, climbing toward the top, until a single act brings everything down.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. It's one of the first great psychological novels, a sharp portrait of ambition.
You'll love it if you liked
Anna Karenina
An American Tragedy
Madame BovaryGood to know
It's long, with political satire that needs some background. Julien is hard to like.
By the numbers
- Readers19 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #244 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #601 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2102 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
If you like this, read next
Middlemarch
G.
Howards End
The French Lieutenant's Woman
Jude the Obscure
Sentimental EducationExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Red and the Black worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. It ranks #2,102 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Red and the Black about?
Julien Sorel, a carpenter's son in provincial France in the 1820s, is handsome, clever and burning with ambition, and he worships Napoleon. Since the army no longer offers a path upward, he chooses the Church. Hired as a tutor in a mayor's household, he seduces the mayor's wife, then moves on to Paris and an aristocrat's proud daughter, climbing toward the top, until a single act brings everything down.
How long does it take to read The Red and the Black?
About 15 hours (612 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Red and the Black?
If you liked it, try Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser or Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.