Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Stendhal definitely draws on some very personal experience when writing about Julien Sorel. Luckily, he never shot anyone. (Source)
Stendhal spent a lot of his young life learning about human psychology, mostly because he wanted "to dominant those about him." Hoo boy. (Source)
Stendhal spent some time fighting in the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte. His life is basically the one Julien wishes he had. (Source)