This 1939 book provides a detailed biographical study of Stendhal. It is notable for being the first English language book on Stendhal's life and works since Andrew Paton's Henri Beyle (1874). It is also highly readable, combining biographical elements with literary appreciation in a subtle and well-rounded manner.

Marie-Henri Beyle, better known by his pen name Stendhal, was born in Grenoble in 1783 and died in Paris in 1842. He has long been recognised as one of the greatest French novelists and an early pioneer of realism, although he was underappreciated during his own lifetime. Originally published in 1939, this book provides a detailed biographical study of Stendhal. It is notable for being the first English language book on Stendhal's life and works since Andrew Paton's Henri Beyle, which was published in 1874. It is also highly readable, combining biographical elements with literary appreciation in a subtle and well-rounded manner. This is an informative volume that will be of value to anyone with an interest in French literature and the development of the novel.