It remained unfinished due to the political culture of the July Monarchy in the 1830s and Stendhal's fears of losing his government position by offending the administration.

[1] The book describes the career of Lucien, the son of a Parisian banker, in the years following the July Revolution of 1830 that brought Louis Philippe I to the throne.

Lucien is expelled from the École Polytechnique after taking part in an anti-government demonstration following the funeral of General Lamarque.

After two years of idleness he joins the army, and falls off a horse as his regiment enters the city of Nancy because he is gazing at "a young blonde with magnificent hair and a disdainful look".

Stendhal planned a last section that would show Lucien in Italy and resolve the story with a happy reunion with Mme de Chasteller, but it was never written.