Historical fiction book · Curated
The Charterhouse of Parma
Stendhal · historical fiction
Fabrizio del Dongo leaves his father's castle on Lake Como to fight for Napoleon and reaches the Battle of Waterloo ill-prepared. Stendhal's 1839 novel is Regency literary historical fiction of what that campaign costs him—the court of Parma afterward, where his aunt Gina and Count Mosca practice politics on his behalf, and the prison where he falls in love with Clélia Conti.
Why read it: A widely searched Napoleonic novel—the Stendhal title readers look up by name (the English edition of La Chartreuse de Parme), and an Italian-court counterpart to War and Peace already on the shelf.
About this historical novel
The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendhal is historical fiction set around 1796–1820s in the Regency / Napoleonic period with key settings including Lake Como, Milan, Waterloo, Parma. Fabrizio del Dongo leaves his father's castle on Lake Como to fight for Napoleon and reaches the Battle of Waterloo ill-prepared. Stendhal's 1839 novel is Regency literary historical fiction of what that campaign costs him—the court of Parma afterward, where his aunt Gina and Count Mosca practice politics on his behalf, and the prison where he falls in love with Clélia Conti.
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include Waterloo, Napoleon, the court of Parma, Fabrizio del Dongo, and intrigue. A widely searched Napoleonic novel—the Stendhal title readers look up by name (the English edition of La Chartreuse de Parme), and an Italian-court counterpart to War and Peace already on the shelf.
Use HisFic’s free journey planner to stay in this era or subgenre, save titles to a want-to-read list in your browser, and open Amazon when you are ready to buy. HisFic is discovery-only—not a bookstore—so pages like this exist to help you choose the next historical novel with intent.
Plot summary
Fabrizio del Dongo leaves his father's castle on Lake Como to fight for Napoleon and reaches the Battle of Waterloo ill-prepared. Stendhal's 1839 novel is Regency literary historical fiction of what that campaign costs him—the court of Parma afterward, where his aunt Gina and Count Mosca practice politics on his behalf, and the prison where he falls in love with Clélia Conti. A widely searched Napoleonic novel—the Stendhal title readers look up by name (the English edition of La Chartreuse de Parme), and an Italian-court counterpart to War and Peace already on the shelf.
Subgenres
Eras
Browse this mix
More like this on HisFic
Curated titles that share era, story type, or themes.
- War and Peace · Leo Tolstoy
Five Russian families move through court, love, and the Napoleonic invasion as 1805 becomes Borodino and Moscow burns. Tolstoy’s epic is Napoleonic historical fiction on a national scale—ballrooms and battlefields, Pierre and Natasha, and the question of who makes history.
- The Count of Monte Cristo · Alexandre Dumas
In 1815, sailor Edmond Dantès is framed for Bonapartist treason and locked in the Château d’If; he escapes, claims a hidden fortune, and returns to Restoration France as the Count of Monte Cristo to ruin the men who stole his life. Dumas’s novel is Napoleonic-aftermath historical adventure—prisons, treasure, and a revenge plotted across Marseille, Rome, and Paris.
- Les Misérables · Victor Hugo
In 1815, convict Jean Valjean is released from the galleys and tries to live honestly under a stolen name, while Inspector Javert hunts him through Restoration and July-Monarchy France. Hugo’s novel follows Fantine, Cosette, Marius, and the 1832 Paris barricades—crime, mercy, and a social epic that still defines French historical fiction after Waterloo.
- Burial Rites · Hannah Kent
In 1829, in the north of Iceland, Agnes Magnúsdóttir is sent to wait for execution at Kornsá, a district officer’s farm, because the valley has no prison for the servant convicted of murdering Natan Ketilsson. Hannah Kent’s 2013 novel is Regency biographical historical fiction of that winter—and of Tóti, the young priest she asks for, who hears a story the court record does not contain.
- A Tale of Two Cities · Charles Dickens
After eighteen years in the Bastille, Dr Manette is restored to his daughter Lucie in London—then the French Revolution draws an exiled aristocrat, a wasted English lawyer, and the Manettes back to Paris and the shadow of the Guillotine. Dickens’s novel is historical fiction of 1775–1793 London and Paris: sacrifice, revenge, and the best and worst of times.
- Vanity Fair · William Makepeace Thackeray
Becky Sharp leaves finishing school with nothing but wit and climbs Regency England beside gentle Amelia Sedley—through London drawing rooms, a disastrous marriage, and the chaos of Waterloo. Thackeray’s novel without a hero is Napoleonic-era historical fiction of class, hypocrisy, and a social war fought as fiercely as the one on the Belgian field.
Regions & places
Europe
Lake Como · Milan · Waterloo · Parma · Italy
Themes
- Waterloo
- Napoleon
- the court of Parma
- Fabrizio del Dongo
- intrigue
Tags
literary · classic