The nineteenth century was a time of turmoil and social change, during which the immutable caste system that had defined European society for thousands of years finally began to shift. This transitional period is brought to life in the exhilaratingly ambitious historical novel, The Red and the Black, which follows the life of Julien Sorel, born of a working-class family, who attempts to improve his station in life. Can Sorel overcome the influence of the powers that be through his sheer force of will?