The essential thrust of this book is an examination of the origins and development of the satirical element of Stendal's writing in Italy, which culminates with the creation of what many critics consider to be his finest achievement, the novel La Chartreuse de Parme.

Tony Greaves adduces some of Stendhal's lesser-known, non-fictional 'Italian' works as essential ingredients in the understanding of 'where La Chartreuse comes from', telling how the different Italian themes of the novel emerge from their historical context.