Gustave Flaubert Books

As above. The book was very beneficial whilst writting essays

As above. The book was very beneficial whilst writting essays

An exquisitely written book about Madame Bovary's search for love, and all of the pain and hardships as a result of that search. The book is eloquently written and wonderfully entertaining- making Madame Bovary's character human and real.

I connot say that I recomend this book, to anyone. It is a horrible display of character. Hasn't anyone heard of the ten commandments in this world? First of all thou shalt not covet. Don't be wanting something you can't have! Unlike Madame Bovary if you are living in a situation you don't like you learn to like it. Second, thou shalt not commit adultrey. Oh, wait that is exactly what she did. A couple of times. This book is ugly, and it shouldn't be read by those who are trying to lead a christian life.

Madame Bovary is a beatufully written satire on bourgeois society. Flaubert puts humor throughout the book through his characters. Each action of the characters has a hint of fakery that is very characterist of Bourgeois society. The book was not written as a guideline of how to live one's life, but a story of the real problems that the people during that time confronted. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to read one of the most well written and thoughtout books.

Stupidity, according to this book, is a matter of opinion, who's opinion I'm not quite sure.

A Dictionary of Idiocy contains forthright views and anecdotes on any number of topics.

Under the topic of drink for example, we are told that dylan Thomas's definition of an alchoholic is someone you don't like who can drink more than you can.

This is a very varied and at times funny read with a wide range of subjects to satisfy everyones tastes. I enjoyed it tremendously.

Don't be fooled by the title: this a completely different book from the other "Sentimental Education".

Written just before he set to work on "Madame Bovary" (though never published), this book marks the turning point between his so-called "juvenile writings" (many of which are more probing and insightful than much of what is written today) and the novels of his maturity.

The book tells the story of two young friends, one of whom goes to study in Paris. Admittedly, this premise is identical to that of the "Sentimental Education", but the novel immediately takes a different turn. Henry (the one who goes to Paris) tries to seduce his schoolmaster's wife in an often hilarious fashion; Jules (the one who stays in the countryside) tries to convince the world that he is a genius playwright in an equally comical fashion, finally "winning over" a group of con-artists. Towards the end of the book, major events occur in both of their lives, at which point the book takes a dramatic shift in tone and in character, taking this reader quite by surprise.

This book is of particular interest to fans of Flaubert because of the unique tone he employs in it. His juvenile romanticism and melodramatic tendencies are here in even balance with his mature use of irony and precision. The text is alive in a way that the other "Sentimental Education" is not: the reader senses Flaubert in the text, commenting and (gasp!) expressing his own opinions, particularly at the end, when he outlines his aesthetic theory explicitly and (double gasp!) eventually employs the first person.

While this book is by no means an equal to "Madame Bovary" or the later work of the same title, it stands on its own as a great portrait of 19th century life, and of a young author on his way to greatness.

In "Flaubert" Henri Troyat has written another charming & cozy account of the life of Gustav Flaubert_____arguably the most meticulous literary prose stylist there ever was. Troyat covers all the bases of Flaubert's life starting with his childhood___his father was a solid ,bourgeois doctor___to his earliest literary stirrings & goes on to recount his transformation into one of the most obsessive literary perfectionists of all times.His dalliances with different mistresses ,his solitary forays into the uncharted waters of literary creation [from the safety of his well-stocked study overlooking the river____mostly at night____the light from his study serving as a landmark for the sailors] are narrated with verve .Troyat has drawn extensively from Flaubert's correspondence .Though charming , this work lacks the breadth & sweep of Troyat's " Tolstoy ".

you want to know something about the French litterature? you want to know something about the classic life of 19th century? then look at this book, you will find something extraordinary

Lord, if only I had been able to write like this at that age. This is a really amusing and quick paced memoir of an infatuated teen. Flaubert perfectly captures that obsessiveness of infatuation and young love. His description of the beach alone is worth the read. Plus, the edition is handsome and well put together.

I used this book as a source for my research paper. I found it very informative and was able to read it in a short time frame, which came in quite helpful. It was full of really good tidbits about Flaubert and his life during the time of writing Madame Bovary. It drew many good comparisons and was able to keep my attention.

Though I loved Madam Bovary, I was not expecting anything from this book. The problem with the character, Salambo, a temple girl, is that she was missing in action. Instead the author uses the title as a pretense to explore and describe Carthage, and gives us little opportunity to know the main characters. Salambo says a few vague lines and then she's off, usually in a huff over her father, then Flaubert starts his travelogue on Carthage again, panning the lens around. If you love sheer exotic scenery then you might like this story--but if you also want memorable characters, this is not the book.

I didn't dislike the book. And in retrospect, there were some well-created scenes. But a lot of it is flowery language that doesn't really move a plot. So in short, very vivid background and characters, not a whole lot of interaction. If you're looking for excellent French literature that is both descriptive in detail and maintains momentum in prose, you're best off with Dumas.

Even though I agree with the reviewers who stated that this novel is nothing like Madame Bovary, I tend to see this as a strength of a talented world writer. In this novel Carthage is in its death throes as an imperial nation---eternally at war and unable to meet the daily needs of its citizens. They are forced to believe in an ecstatic religious cult that demands the sacrifice of humans. Flaubert's language in this novel even mirrors the internal frenzy of the citizens who always have to be prepared for yet another war. (I finished this novel in one day, I could not put it down.)
Salammbo needs to be read as a novel; not as a work of history in order to truly understand what Flaubert intentions were.

I enjoyed this novel enough to recommend it, but I'm sure it's not for everyone. In a way the things I like about it are integrally interwoven with its flaws. For example, I love the luxurious detail that Flaubert gives. You'd think he was actually there, the way he describes every morsel of food, each tribe's jewelry, customs, idiosyncracies. He has details that he lays out like a lush banquet, way too much to actually eat, but beautiful to gaze at. The flaw in this for me is that Flaubert in the notes makes such a big case for how everything is historically accurate. That's silly. He can't possibly believe that he can reach back two thousand years and render everything with complete precision. I mean reporters writing things that happened this afternoon only ever get it partially right, so how could he manage it? The answer is that he couldn't and that he doesn't have to. This is a novel and as such all the detail works; I just wish Flaubert hadn't taken himself so seriously. Sort of spoils the viceral enjoyment of the whole thing.

He also lets fly completely on a negative image of all things Carthaginian, which would have been true to his times. Some modern scholars are starting to doubt many of the nasty things we've assumed about Carthage all these years. Some are starting to ask just how much of that stuff is Roman propaganda. I don't have any answers or opinions myself, and this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book one way or the other. I did also enjoy a recent novel, Pride of Carthage, which doesn't exactly paint a rosy picture of Carthage, but might give a slightly more full bodied consideration of both sides. I recommend it highly.

And I recommend this. Not exactly cause it's great though. Like I said, it's a banquet, a feast, a debauched evening that gets decidely nasty and that you wake up from feeling rather ill... That doesn't sound that pleasant, does it? And yet we all remember such nights with clouded awe. That's how I'll remember this book.

One must admire the research that went into the book, and for that the novel has some value. Beyond the historical research, there are few positive things to recommend the novel.

There are no literary hooks and overall it is not a well balanced novel. There are many characters and lots of killings and confusion. One wonders if Flaunbert was the author. Is this the same Flaubert that created the masterpiece "Madame Bovary"? Yes it is, but what a change. The writing is good, but the subject is bad and the novel lacks warmth and charm. Perhaps fatal for the novel, it lacks realistic and interesting characters and good dialogue.

I bought and read "Madame Bovary" in a day and loved every moment of that reading experience. It was a compelling novel, balanced, charming, concise, great characters, great prose, etc. It was impossible to put down that 500 page masterpiece. Since then I have read other works by Flaubert such as "Sentimental Education" and was not disappointed.

This book has lots of historical detail, many characters, and lots of blood and gore but little else. The characters are wooden. The plot is hard to follow. The ending is a bit unrealistic. The rest of the novel has too many twists and turns, and too many characters. The protagonist Salambo is an enigma. The character Matho is too far from reality as is Hamilcar, the Suffete of Carthage.

The greatest disappoint is the read itself. I could read only 10 or 20 pages at a time before losing interest. This is a great novel if you are having trouble sleeping.

By the time I got to the end of the 300 pages, I was happy to be done with the book. Yes, I am finished this crazy book!

Mark this one down as Flaubert's folly or one of his mistakes.

Better reads from Flabert:

- Madame Bovary
- Sentimental Education
- The Temptation of Saint Anthony
- Three Tales

N.B. THIS REVIEW REFERENCES ST. JULIAN AND A SIMPLE SOUL ONLY.

The role of the Catholic Church in the daily lives of 19th century French provides the underlying basis for the characterizations in these two Contes. Whether high-born or lowly, Flaubert's two disparate protagonists are deeply influenced in their actions and attitudes by their faith. Making no moral judgment on their response to Christianity the author simply depicts their spiritual development as extensions of the Church, which permits readers of various religious backgrounds to draw their own conclusions.

THE LEGEND opens with elaborate exposition of the family's
grandiose castle. Divided into three titled chapters (CURSE, CRIME, REPARATION) this tale was inspired by the story depicted in the stained glass windows, which impressed the author in his boyhood. Wealthy, pampered only-son Julian graduates from torturing small animals to a frenzied obsession with all manner of hunting: when wild game eludes him, he seeks out human prey to satisfy his bloodlust. But he must fulfill several, contradictory prophecies in his lifetime, before the final apotheosis of his twisted soul. He chooses to make the ultimate sacrifice in atonement for a lifetime of savagery. This legend explains why Julian became the patron saint of ferrymen and innkeepers.

The second short story features a humble woman (ironically named Felicity--happiness) who proves the antithetical protagonist. In five chapters (FELICITY, THE HEROINE, DEATH, THE BIRD, THE VISION)Flaubert offers a grimly pessimist view of life in a coastal village. Rarely acting upon her own initiative this poor old "simple soul" is ignored by most, mistreated by her family, unappreciated by her mistress, and barely noticed by the villagers. Her generous nature gradually increases in piety, culminating in a confused Vision which--if nothing else--grants her a few moments of celestial bliss before extinction of her mortal but unremarkable life. Flaubert's purpose in this depressing tale is oblique; refraining from direct social and religious commentary, he is content to paint the canvas, allowing viewers their private interpretation. Felicite acted as a mother by proxy, denied a fully dimensional life of her own; perhaps her personal view of heaven's reception proved bizarrely "true."

The Oil Jar and Other Stories (Dover Thrift Editions)
This book of short novels ( not quite short stories, not quite novels)
is very representative of the time it was written. One can't see the wild west in this cultured writing, but that is the time period for America!
Five plays by Oscar Wilde The last one reminds me of the Oscar Wilde play with extremes of descriptive detail that would make the archaeologists angry today. The contrast of realism and religious images in Flaubert makes him interesting as well as being a prose master.

.
Three Tales," written 20 years after "Madam Bovery," this from a well known French writer, Gustave Flaubert, like many others, becomes more valued years after his works in French literary importance.

His first story, "Simple Heart," appears to relate a life of both ignorance and acceptance that endures in suffering. Although a life with obstacles, it ends with a somber type of happiness and sense of completeness that elevates loyalty, simplistic ignorance and childlike acceptance that paradoxically ends in futility, the futility of life itself. "Ignorance is both tragic and bliss."

In the seconds story of St. Julian, it contains similarities with the ancient Greek tragedy of King Odepius, told by Sophocles. For in both Flaubert's story of St. Julian and Sophocles story of King Odepius, the tale begins with an oracle that predetermines the character's fate with his subsequent attempts to alter his destiny. Both stories relate how destiny and freedom exist in relative degrees and are thus illusionary in the absolute sense. It's a matter of accepting such destiny and working within the limitations to make the changes that prove human dignity can never be erased. It is the freedom within boundaries that can never be crossed. If I had to compare these two stories, St. Julian is far inferior, but an entertaining read. St. Julian, a killer of a man who becomes the most empathetic, forgiven by God and carried away like Elisha.

The third story, Herodius, is an extension or more detailed, fictious, story of the gospel account of John the Baptist and his subsequent execution.

All three stories are short and flow.

Three tales: One "modern" short-story, one medieval legend, and one historical sketch. Three diverse tales, all colorful and engaging. Reading these tales makes one wish Flaubert had written more. Other reviewers have described each story in more detail so I'll keep my descriptions brief. Beginning with "A Simple Heart", the story of a lonely servant-girl named Felicite who devotes her life to helping a single mother raise her children in a small Normandy village; moving back in time to the medieval era and a capitvating re-telling the legend of "St. Julian Hospitator" who devotes himself to God after being haunted by the thousands of animals he'd hunted and killed as a brash, arrogant youth; far back to the time of Christ, when "Herodias", King Herod's head-strong wife, instigates the beheading of John the Baptist, unintentionally paving the way for Jesus Christ himself; Flaubert has created three "religious" tales that plainly and simply illustrate the status of Christianity at different times, in different places. Some readers of Flaubert find undertones of sarcasm in these tales (more prevelant in "Sentimental Education" for sure), but I really believe he's attempting to be as non-judgmental as possible, simply telling it the way it is; or was. It seems to me that Flaubert's intention with these stories (especially "A Simple Heart" which to me has the most character depth & uniqueness of the three) is to not only showcase his literary skills, but to challenge himself to write about three seemingly unconnected eras and linking them by a common thread. Flaubert's descriptions and details are always of the highest caliber (although sometimes tiresome if one's not used to his style) but ultimately, each tale stands on its own, making "Three Tales" an excellent introduction to one of the most influential, and talented writers of all time.

Who knows what was going through the mind of this most enigmatic of modern writers, Monsieur Flaubert, when he came up with these stories? Reviewers have speculated about the only common thread that could link these three extremely different tales: Christianity and what it has meant to the people in different historical times. Each tale is completely different in approach and style from the other two.

"A simple heart" is easily the best of the three, in fact a masterpiece of Flaubertism, that is, a subtly ironic and totally dispassionate and realistic account of some provincial character. Felicite is a "simple heart", a woman of miserable origins who spends her life in servitude, contemplating the years go by, each one identical to the next. Felicite has a simple faith in God, unquestioning, unphilosophic, the kind of faith every priest dreams about for his flock. The tale is perfectly written, utterly sad and desolate, but being written by Flaubert, there's a cold irony beneath. Some people think this tale represents Christianity as it came to be in Modern times (XIX century).

"The Legend of St. Julian Hospitator" is a very strange tale of sin and redemption -the Medieval way. Julian is born rich, but he's a cruel man, fond of killing animals. He has no mercy in his heart. After a strange prophecy which he thinks has been fulfilled, Julian flees home and wanders around for many years, until he finds love. But he will sin again and ruin his life for his impiety. The end is a mystic and chilling one. Some people think this tale represents Christianity as lived by people in the Middle Ages.

"Herodias", is a cinematographic tale which tells the story of John the Baptist's beheading. It is picture after picture of action. The central character is Herod, puppet king of Judea. He's having a hard time watching his numerous enemies camped outside his palace, dealing with the Roman envoy, placating the Jewish priests and wondering what to do with the prisoner he has in a dungeon -John. Then everybody shows up and a party begins. There, his lover's daughter, Herodias, will ask for something from him. Some people think this is the social context of the beginnings of Christianity.

Make your own conclusions: is Flaubert giving us a history lesson? Or savagely attacking Christianity and mocking it? Or simply depicting the different ways Christianity has been lived through the centuries? Or none of the above?

Bouvard and Pecuchet is one of the funniest books ever written, and remains every bit as telling in its attack on bourgeoise society as when it was first published. The "Dictionary of Received Ideas," which is included in this edition, is sort of a "Devil's Dictionary" of middle-class stupidities; astonishingly, almost all of its satirical bite still holds true. I dock this Penguin edition one star because it doesn't have any notes, which would have made Flaubert's nineteenth-century context far more easily graspable.

Although he never finished this book, it remains even in translation, a perfect guide to the perils of bourgeois ambitions. Two hapless bank clerks use a sudden inheritance to dabble disastrously in all the current fashions, with hilarious and mordant results. Includes a "dictionary of received ideas" which should be required reading for all Americans. I read it at least once a year, out loud, and am much the better for the release. Buy it for everyone you know, and see if you can then watch Jimmy Stewart or Martha Stewart without throwing up.

"Longwinded. Tedious. Impossible to finish (there was a reason Flaubert never finished this either).

Flaubert supposedly read something like 1000 books to do the research for this novel and apparently had an almost photographic memory. Bouvard and Pecuchet proceed to plow through the entire corpus of human knowledge, ostensibly to become more learned and true Renaissance men, now that they are men of leisure.

You'd think this would seem a laudable goal for a French intellectual like Flaubert, but he seems to be make fun of such superficial or perhaps self-educated learning, and perhaps of human knowledge in general. Flaubert seems to presage the 20th century's weariness with arid and purely ivory-tower scholarship that perhaps has led to the anti-science sentiments we see today, the rise of fuzzy-minded, muddy, and fallacious philosophies like New Age, and perhaps even movements like Creationism's antipathy toward evolution and Darwin.

Perhaps to Flaubert, since there is no end to learning, and all human knowledge, or at least an individual human's learning is finite, there are no real truths and all knowledge is essentially relative and inconstant and incomplete. Certainly Bouvard and Pecuchet's projects are always doomed to failure and are never completed.

I'm not sure what else in the way of profound meaning I can glean from this book, but it does seem to sound a cautionary warning or perhaps cynical note on the dangers of superficial learning or perhaps even too much learning. Perhaps Flaubert is also saying life is not something to observe and analyze, but to experience instead. That would be consistent with the beliefs of the Realists, since the French Realist authors like him pioneered the idea of intensively observing and researching the common people and the dregs of society that they often wrote about, as in Zola's Nana, for example, who was a prostitute.