BRIEF LIVES: GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

by Andrew Brown

Gustave Flaubert is the most famous French author of the nineteenth century. During his lifetime he delighted and scandalised readers with his short stories and novellas, and especially with his masterpiece, Madame Bovary. Born and brought up in Normandy, Flaubert made provincial French life a major subject of his writing. He was also tantalised by the exotic extremes of the east, travelling to Egypt on a tour of harems and pyramids, and writing several extravagant historical fictions. Flaubert was a literary celebrity by the time of his death, and his writing, with its scrupulous style and inimitable tone, continues to have a profound influence on modern literature.

Describing Flaubert's friendships, love affairs, travels and literary passions, this biography distils years of learning into a rich and enticing compendium.

Publication date: 01/09/2009