Gustave Flaubert’s Sentimental Education, published in 1869, is the novel Flaubert considered his masterpiece, though it found less immediate success than Madame Bovary. Set against the Revolution of 1848 and its aftermath, it follows the young Frédéric Moreau’s hopeless, decades-long infatuation with a married woman alongside his failure to commit to any career, cause, or relationship.
This second volume brings the story to its melancholy conclusion. Influential on Proust, Joyce, and generations of novelists, it is among the great works of French literature. Download this public-domain text as a free EPUB.