De l'Amour

Édition revue et corrigée et précédée d'une étude sur les oeuvres de Stendhal par Sainte-Beuve

Edited by Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve

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"De l'Amour" by Stendhal is an essay published in 1822. Under the guise of psychological and sociological analysis, Stendhal examines the nature of love while channeling his own unrequited passion. The work introduces his famous theory of "crystallization"—the idealization that occurs in romantic attraction. Divided into two books, it explores the stages of falling in love and compares courtship customs across nations, while critiquing marriage and advocating for women's education. Through philosophical inquiry, Stendhal transforms personal heartbreak into universal insight.

Summary written by Project Gutenberg, by machine.