On Love

"On Love" by Stendhal is a philosophical treatise on the nature of romantic love, written in the early 19th century. In this work, Stendhal examines the complexities of love, exploring various forms and stages such as "passion-love," "gallant love," "physical love," and "vanity-love." He emphasizes the psychological processes involved in love, including his concept of "crystallisation," where lovers project imagined qualities onto their beloved, thereby enhancing their affection. The opening of "On Love" establishes Stendhal's intention to dissect the phenomenon of love methodically. He introduces his analytical approach by delineating the different kinds of love, reflecting both on historical examples and personal anecdotes. The initial chapters discuss the birth of love, outlining key stages such as admiration, hope, and the transformative process of crystallisation. This theoretical framework sets the tone for a deeper exploration of the interplay between reality and imagination in romantic relationships, effectively guiding the reader through Stendhal's intricate understanding of human affection. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Marie-Henri Beyle, better known by his pen name Stendhal, was a French writer. Best known for the novels Le Rouge et le Noir and La Chartreuse de Parme, he is highly regarded for the acute analysis of his characters' psychology and considered one of the early and foremost practitioners of realism. A self-proclaimed egotist, he coined the same characteristic in his characters' "Beylism".