How long is The Red and the Black?

The Red and the Black is 560 pages, or approximately 187,378 words. At an average reading pace, it takes about 14 hours to read.

Is The Red and the Black difficult to read?

The Red and the Black has a difficulty score of 64 out of 100, making it quite demanding. Key factors include vocabulary 62 out of 100, sentence structure 73 out of 100, abstraction 72 out of 100.

What genre is The Red and the Black?

The Red and the Black is categorized as Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction. It was published in 1830 by Stendhal.

When was The Red and the Black published?

The Red and the Black was published in 1830 by Stendhal.

The Red and the Black by Stendhal

Name: The Red and the Black
Author: Stendhal

Published 1830 · 560 pages · 187,378 words · about 14 hours at an average pace · Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction

How hard is The Red and the Black to read?

The Red and the Black scores 64 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it quite demanding. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.

Vocabulary: 62 out of 100: The text employs a formal, somewhat elevated vocabulary, typical of 19th-century literary prose, with words like "burgess," "calicoes," "hypocritical," "benefice," and "odalisque." While lacking invented language or highly specialized jargon found in works like Finnegans Wake, it is consistently more demanding than accessible contemporary fiction, aligning with the literary vocabulary of 2666.
Sentence structure: 73 out of 100: Sentences are frequently long and complex, featuring extensive subordination and multiple nested clauses that require careful parsing. Stendhal (or his translator) often packs several ideas and descriptive elements into single, flowing sentences, creating a more demanding reading experience than The Great Gatsby but not reaching the extreme hypotaxis of Henry James or Proust.
Abstraction: 72 out of 100: While grounded in a concrete narrative of social climbing and personal relationships, the novel frequently delves into Julien's intricate psychological states, moral dilemmas, and philosophical reflections on ambition, hypocrisy, and society. This blend of external action and internal ideation places it significantly above purely concrete narratives, though it does not reach the pure abstraction of works like The Waste Land.
Information density: 74 out of 100: The narrative is rich with interwoven details concerning character motivations, social customs, political machinations, and psychological nuances, often presented implicitly or through internal monologue. Readers must maintain high attention to grasp the layers of meaning and the rapid shifts between external events and internal calculations, making it denser than The Great Gatsby and approaching the demands of works with extensive historical backdrops like War and Peace.
Narrative indirection: 55 out of 100: The narrator frequently provides direct insight into characters' thoughts and societal critiques, reducing ambiguity about surface events. However, the novel's core involves discerning characters' true motivations beneath layers of social performance and self-deception, particularly Julien's ambition and Madame de Renal's burgeoning love, which requires considerable reader inference. This places it above direct exposition like '1984' but below works with unreliable narrators like 'Lolita'.
Symbolic density: 70 out of 100: The novel is rich with symbolic elements, from the titular colors (red for passion/military, black for clergy/hypocrisy) to objects like Napoleon's portrait and settings like Verrieres. These symbols are integral to understanding Julien's internal conflicts and the broader societal critique, requiring readers to consistently interpret meaning beyond literal events. This is comparable to the symbolic weight in 'The Great Gatsby' but less pervasive than 'Moby-Dick'.
Ironic distance: 78 out of 100: Stendhal employs a consistently ironic narrative voice, frequently highlighting the gap between characters' outward appearances, societal expectations, and their true, often self-serving, motivations. The narrator's cynical commentary on provincial hypocrisy, the pursuit of 'return,' and the performative nature of piety (e.g., the Bishop practicing benedictions) requires readers to constantly read against the surface. This is a higher degree of irony than 'The Great Gatsby' but less structurally integrated than 'Ulysses'.
Resolution withholding: 70 out of 100: The excerpt establishes a world of profound uncertainty regarding Julien's future, his relationships, and the moral implications of his actions. The narrative leaves many questions open, such as the ultimate success of Madame de Renal's deception, the true nature of Julien's feelings, and the long-term consequences of their affair, resisting easy closure. This is more open-ended than 'The Great Gatsby' but not as extreme as 'Crying of Lot 49'.
Structural complexity: 35 out of 100: The novel employs a largely linear chronology and a consistent third-person omniscient narration, providing direct access to characters' thoughts and motivations. While the narrator is highly interpretive and often interjects with commentary, there are no significant timeline jumps, POV shifts, or formal experiments that would disrupt the narrative flow or challenge the reader's understanding of the plot's progression. Its structure is more akin to 'War and Peace' than 'Flights'.

How The Red and the Black is regarded

The Red and the Black holds a literary regard score of 87 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.