Henri-Marie Beyle, better known as Stendhal (Grenoble, January 23, 1783 – Paris, March 23, 1842), was a French writer renowned for his keen analysis of the feelings of his characters. His first masterpiece, "The Red and the Black," was published in 1830. It is an analytical chronicle of French society during the Restoration period, in which Stendhal depicted the ambitions and contradictions of his time, emphasizing the psychological analysis of the characters and the direct and objective style of narration. Narrated largely from the perspective of each character's mental state, the convincing psychological realism of the work led Émile Zola to proclaim it the first truly "modern" novel. "The Red and the Black" is part of the LeBooks Great Classics collection and also of the famous anthology, "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." It is undoubtedly a work that deserves to be read.