Armance is a romance novel following the story of Octave de Malivert, a quiet but intelligent young man almost out of a reputed higher education institute, drawn to Armance Zohiloff, who reciprocates his feelings. The novel explains how a series of misunderstandings have kept the lovers Armance and Octave apart. The young man Octave, a cynic at heart, falls in love, and this love of a pure and devoted girl changes his personality but stays sensitive to episodes of low moods, sulking frequently and behaving unwisely. On the other hand, the girl, Armance, is a steady character, but conservative and tender, she pulls back from time to time until the situations bend in her favor, only to face the fateful results of the discomfiting character of the man she loves.
Stendhal’s impressive writing style, absorbing plot, and incredible characterization make it a remarkable novel that leaves a long-lasting impact on the reader.
Circa l’autore
Marie-Henri Beyle, better known by his pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century French writer. Best known for the novels The Red and the Black, The Charterhouse of Parma, and Armance, he is famous for the critical analysis of his characters’ psychology and is regarded as one of the early and leading practitioners of realism.