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A daily record of what I'm thinking about what I'm reading

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Saturday, July 14, 2018

A right-wing conspiracy and the plot thickens in The Red and the Black

At last the plot picks up about 3/4 of the way through Stendahl's The Red and the Black - I'd had enough by that time of Julien's up and down relationship w/ Mlle de la Mole - and was heartened when his employer (her father) assigned him to a top-secret mission. We get a really great scene of some of the top right-wing leaders in early 19th-century Paris gathering for an all-night conclave to plan, what we gradually learn, is a revolution to reinstall the monarchy (and of course to protect all the "rights" of the aristocracy); the plan involves getting the support of the Church, including from Rome, which will in effect ensure the support of the peasants - a cruel and sinister plot. Julien has to memorize the key points of the secret meeting, ride to London, repeat his lengthy message verbatim to a sympathetic British aristocrat, and return w/ a report regarding English support for this right-wing revolution. Stendahl gives us another great scene as Julien is waylaid at an inn, learns that the authorities have received word about a  courier (him), they break into his room at night, thinking he's drugged to sleep (somehow he has overcome the narcotics) and search his belongings - but let him pass as they find no messages, and he continues on his mission. The long build-up to this right-wing conspiracy was worth it; finally, we will see if Julien can do something courageous - and if so what will that be? Will he be brave enough to enlighten the authorities about the plot, which goes against the grain of his lifelong Republican beliefs? Or were his beliefs just a sham and a fantasy? Will he continue to act in support of M de la Mole and his reactionary cronies. Loyalty to employer, action true to his beliefs, or cowardice and rationales all around? 

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