Gustave Flaubert's novel, Bouvard and Pécuchet, is a monumental work that delves into the futility of knowledge and the human condition. Written in Flaubert's signature realistic style with meticulous attention to detail, the novel follows the misadventures of two copy-clerks, Bouvard and Pécuchet, as they embark on a series of absurd and futile attempts to acquire knowledge in various fields. The book satirizes the incompetence and ignorance of its protagonists, highlighting the inherent limitations of human understanding. In a post-enlightenment society, Flaubert's work challenges...

Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners commonly known as simply Madame Bovary, is the début novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond her means in order to escape the ennui of provincial life.When the novel was first serialised in Revue de Paris between 1 October and 15 December 1856, public prosecutors attacked the novel for obscenity. The resulting trial in January 1857 made the story notorious. Following Flaubert's acquittal on 7 February 1857, Madame Bovary became a bestseller in April 1857 when it was...