The Charterhouse of Parma

Stendhal's original descriptions of war were an inspiration to Tolstoy who developed them in War and Peace. The way Stendhal treats war is highly recognizable because of it's bitter irony about war and its results. The main hero Fabrice del Longo is ready to join Napoleon's army during the Waterloo battle, he is full of idealistic thoughts and hopes. However, the war is shown to him as a mass of chaotic frictions without any sense, so, the young man simply cannot understand, what is happening.

To escape punishment for his after-doings including murder, Fabrice grabs for an opportunity of becoming a preacher of Catholic Church but does not interrupt his colorful, passionate life. The end of our hero symbolizes for Stendhal the insignificance of human life in the ocean of the world.

The Charterhouse of Parma is full of secrets - how much will these sacred walls endure?