About
Gustave Flaubert, born on December 12, 1821, in Rouen and died on May 8, 1880, in Croisset, is a major French novelist of the 19th century. Son of a surgeon, he abandoned his law studies in 1846 to devote himself to writing. His novel Madame Bovary (1857) led to a trial for immorality, from which he was acquitted. He then wrote Salammbô (1862), Sentimental Education (1869), and Three Tales (1877). He is considered a pioneer of the modern novel, renowned for his pursuit of the exact word and his narrative impersonality. He notably mentored Guy de Maupassant.
* 1821-12-12 — † 1880-05-08
Major works
- Madame Bovary (1857)novel
- Salammbô (1862)novel
- L'Éducation sentimentale (1869)novel
- Trois Contes (1877)short story collection
- Bouvard et Pécuchet (1881)novel
Key milestones
- 1846Abandons his law studies after a nervous breakdown and devotes himself to writing.
- 1857Madame Bovary is prosecuted for immorality, but Flaubert is acquitted.
- 1866Appointed Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Themes
RealismAuthorial impersonalityQuest for the exact wordSocial critiqueFailure and disillusionment
Sources: data.bnf.fr · catdir.loc.gov · archivesdepartementales76.net