Inspired by his unrequited passion for the Countess Dembowska, Stendhal brings together logical, clear-sighted analysis with all-consuming emotion to remarkable effect in this unique treatise. Stendhal begins his study by classifying the different types of love--romantic, passionate, or courtly--and then muses on the causes of love's birth. He identifies the seven stages of falling in love and proffers wise advice for the ardent lover on a variety of topics, including how to "crystallize" the object of one's desire. Yet beneath these clever philosophical musings, Stendhal makes a desperate attempt to reconcile and dispel his own tortured emotions.