French Passions: Alain de Botton on Stendhal

Swiss-born author Alain de Botton is much more into Stendhal’s non-fiction than into his novels. In 2011, he came to the Institut français du Royaume-Uni to discuss Stendhal’s life and writing, explaining how the 19th century French author had influenced his work and encouraged him to become a writer. Born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1969, Alain de Botton now lives in London, where he regularly writes for the British press.