1002 Sentimental Education, by Gustave Flaubert translated by Anthony Goldsmith (read 14 Mar 1969) A story of exasperating people who act so contrary to anything sensible, I was nevertheless tremendously moved by it for reasons hard to state. The style, at least in translation, is jerky--but fast-moving. Laid in France in the 1840's and up to 1851, it has as background the reign of Louis Phillippe, the revolution of 1848, etc. Frederick Moreau (no hero to me) falls in love with Madame Arnoux, and so takes after, naturally, Rossamette, Mme. Dumbreuse, etc. Mme. Arnoux is the unattainable. The plot is about that--no more. But so--what more plot was there to Roger Martin du Gard? ( )

I really enjoyed this novel for the most part. I enjoy the French romantic phrasing. Flaubert creates a truly remarkable character in Frederique, a young man who exemplifies all that it terrible about the upper class, and he must live with the consequences of his actions. The primary themes of the book include: true love, passion, idealism, betrayal, egocentrism of both men and women, manipulation, dishonesty......all the great makings of a wonderful novel. The only negative to me is that the love, confusion, betrayal cycle is repeated a bit much which belabors the point.. The "sentimental educaiton" is not learned until late in adulthood, what a pity! ( )

"Neither Wilder nor Dos Passos are "good writers." Wilder is a very minor writer who knows his limitations and was over inflated in value and as quickly de-flated. Dos Passos is often an excellent writer and has been improving in every way with each book he writes. Both Dos and Wilder come from the same class and neither represents that class-- Wilder represents the Library-- Zola and Hugo were both lousy writers-- but Hugo was a grand old man... Flaubert is a great writer but he only wrote one great book-- Bovary-- one 1/2 great book L'Education, one damned lousy book Bouvard et Pecuchet. Stendhal was a great writer with one good book-- Le Rouge et le Noir-- some fine parts of La Chartreuse de Parme (wonderful) but much of it tripe and the rest junk."
Letter to Paul Romaine, 1932
Selected Letters, pg. 366

When is a classic not a classic? Perhaps when a book has too much going for it: brilliant author, contemporary political events that will define the century, a story that is just wonderful. A Sentimental Education has all these things. However, reading it was a little like eating jam on a bed of jam with no toast. Flaubert in this book tells the story of a young man just finishing college and the course of his life until old age--a better title might have been 'A Sentimental Life', because it's not clear that much education happened at all throughout the book. In fact, the protagonist continues to struggle with a life strategy throughout the book that seems to have more cost than benefit. The youth while not poor has been thrust due to his upbringing in somewhat upper crust circles into society where he struggles to maintain his habits and appearance. While doing just enough work to skate by, he sees and falls madly in love with a married woman. The book tells the story of his life-long attempt to get closer to her and his trials, travails, adventures along the way. Unfortunately, instead of writing what could be a novel very similar to Anna Karenina, both in plot and quality of writing, Flaubert stuffs almost as much political history and debate into the book right alongside. Imaging reading War and Peace and any of the War sections were substituted with characters philosophizing, debating the future of France, Bonaparte, Republicanism, and on and on. It would be a rare reader who would want to keep up with all the historic references, mentions of politicians, philosophers, events, theories and more. Split into two books, perhaps each is a winning effort, however together it's a wonderful love story and classical romance with persistent stultifying breaks into French history. ( )

A young man and his lifelong love for an older, married woman. Depicts the social depravity of a certain class of men in France in the late 1800s. ( )