The Red and the Black  (Paperback, Stendhal)

Julien Sorel, a handsome and aspiratiol man, is determined to overcome his lowly provincial upbringing. He soon realises that the only way to succeed is to follow the sophisticated code of hypocrisy that governs society, so he starts to progress by lying and self-interest. His successful job leads him into the centre of glitzy Parisian society, where he triumphs over the proud Mathilde and the kind, married Madame de Rêl. Then, though, Julien commits an unforeseen, horrifying crime that ultimately leads to his own demise. One of the most intriguing characters in European literature is Julien, the icy exploiter whose Machiavellian strategy is undermined by his own emotions in The Red and the Black, a vibrant, sarcastic portrait of corrupt, greedy, and ennui-ridden French society following Waterloo.