The Red and the Black Audiobook By Stendhal, Lloyd C. Parks - translator cover art

The Red and the Black

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The Red and the Black

By: Stendhal, Lloyd C. Parks - translator
Narrated by: David Case
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The Red and the Black is a powerful character study of Julien Sorel, a clever and idealistic young opportunist who attempts to rise above his station through a combination of talent, deception, and hypocrisy. He uses his powers of seduction and charm to secure advancement, only to find himself betrayed by his own passions and outwitted by the larger political and social intrigues of post-Napoleonic France.

Stendhal's rich, nuanced portrait of Julien and early-19th-century France brilliantly anticipates modern literature in its psychological depth and realism.

©2007 Lloyd C. Parks (translation) (P)1998 Phoenix Recordings Classics

Critic reviews

"One of the greatest 19th-century novels." ( Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature)

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A very intelligent novel read by a very intelligent narrator. I had downloaded the book despite my quick listen to David Case's voice, which I thought had an affected drawl, but now I'm a convert: I found his characterizations sensitive, and thought his women's voices good. The author is brilliant with people's motivation and insecurities. I enjoyed the book despite being hazy about the natures of Jesuits, Jacobins, and Jansenists; almost 180 years after the book was published, I felt the passion translated better than the politics, but a more educated reader might think the politics the best part. (This is supposedly Al Gore's favorite novel--he might say the political goings-on seemed all too familiar...)

passion and politics

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Having just finished all nine books of the Forsyte Saga, excellently narrated by David Case, I was eager for a similar story with the same narration. The audio is too muddled and the story too slow.

Couldn’t finish it

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Red and the Black to be better than the print version?

I'm so glad that this audio edition gives the name of the translator. I wish the name of the translator was always included.

What aspect of David Case’s performance would you have changed?

I don't like David Case's low, growling, pressed voice (what therapists call "vocal fry"), but I appreciate all the qualities which Case brings: intelligence, pacing, characterization, etc. He mispronounces the hero's name, Julien (should rhyme with 'bien').

Any additional comments?

A wonderful, complex portrait of post-Revolution France, and of the idealistic hero, grappling with the shallow, hypocritical society he lives in. Highly recommended.

Le Rouge et le Noir

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Contrary to a previous reviewer, I found the audio file of this book quite clear. Every word was audible.

As for the narrator, David Case, he's quite good here. He brings out Stendhal's humor, especially with his voice of the main character, Julian. I'd gladly listen to this book again.

Audible

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In this version David Case's voice is completely muffled and almost unintelligible even on the highest quality setting. Equalization is ineffective because the higher frequencies are simply missing. In this state I can only recommend that it be avoided until Audible fixes the file.

Performance ruined by muffled audio.

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