Books with author Gustave Flaubert

Salammbô I FEAST It was at Megara, a suburb of Carthage, in the gardens of Hamilcar. The soldiers he had commanded in Sicily were giving themselves a big feast to celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Eryx, and as the master was absent and they were numerous, they ate and drank in complete freedom. The captains, wearing bronze buskins, had placed themselves in the middle path, under a veil of purple with gold fringes, which extended from the wall of the stables to the first terrace of the palace; the common soldiers were scattered under the trees, where one distinguished a number of buildings with flat roofs, presses, cellars, shops, bakeries and arsenals, with a yard for elephants, pits for ferocious beasts, a prison for slaves. Fig trees surrounded the kitchens; a sycamore wood extended to masses of greenery, where grenades shone among the white tufts of cotton trees; vineyards, charged with bunches, mounted in the branches of the pines; a field roses blossomed under plane trees; from place to place on lawns swayed lilies; black sand, mixed with gunpowder coral, strewed the paths; and, in the middle, the cypress avenue from one end to the other like a double colonnade of obelisks green.

The main theme of Salammbo is the revolt of the mercenaries engaged by Carthago througout the Punic Wars against Rome. This army was formed by a bizarre variety of men from all over the Mediterranian lands, and like every army, they were loved at war and feared at peace. The novel begins with a feast given to honor their many years of sacrifice and loyalty. But soon after they are put apart to an inner region, feared by the citizens of the capital city. It is also the story of Matho, a Libian soldier, and Salammbo, the Princess from Carthago. All in all, Salammbo is a wonderful historic novel which stands, not only on long forgotten facts, but on the rich depth of Flaubert’s characters. Flaubert spent several years researching this book, which is a combination of history and myth not unlike Homer's Iliad. Like the Iliad it is a larger than life epic tale, but this tale has neither poetry nor heroes. Carthage does not want to pay the mercenaries their due; the mercenaries seek to plunder Carthage in revenge. Both sides rely on deceit and treachery to advance their cause. In the background is the sensual and mysterious Salammbo, seeking her own objective, indifferently and unwittingly affects the outcome. The war becomes long and brutal as the balance shifts back and forth. The horror of war becomes increasingly indefensible as the author offers neither heroes nor justifications. Fed only by greed, pride and revenge, the war and the slaughter grind on endlessly. Some would criticize, "This is not Madame Bovary, and this is too much violence without a point." Others would say, "This is not Madame Bovary, but to criticize that it is too much violence without a point, is to miss the point." Flaubert, painting with exquisite detail and unapologetic language, tells an epic, exotic and sensual tale of failure.

A Simple Soul by Gustave Flaubert - A “Simple Soul” or "A Simple Heart", or Un coeur simple or Le perroquet in French, is a story about a servant girl named Felicite. After her one and only love Theodore purportedly marries a well-to-do woman to avoid conscription, Felicite quits the farm where she works and heads for Pont-l'Eveque, where she picks up work in a widow's house as a servant. She is very loyal, and easily lends her affections to the two children of her mistress, Mme Aubain. She gives entirely to others; although many take advantage of her, she is unaffected. She has no husband, no children, and no property, and is reliant on her mistress to keep her; she is uneducated, which bars her visits to the Church; her death is virtually unnoticed. Despite her life being seemingly pointless, she has within her the power to love, which she does even when she does not receive it in return. She also carries within her a yearning, a majestic quasi-religious sensibility which finds its apotheosis in the deification, as she dies, of her pet parrot who floats above her deathbed masquerading as the Holy Ghost. She lives a simple, unexamined life.

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

This anthology is a thorough introduction to classic literature for those who have not yet experienced these literary masterworks. For those who have known and loved these works in the past, this is an invitation to reunite with old friends in a fresh new format. From Shakespeare s finesse to Oscar Wilde s wit, this unique collection brings together works as diverse and influential as The Pilgrim s Progress and Othello. As an anthology that invites readers to immerse themselves in the masterpieces of the literary giants, it is must-have addition to any library.

Madame Bovary (1856) is Gustave Flaubert's first published novel and is considered his masterpiece. The story focuses on a doctor's wife, Emma Bovary, who has adulterous affairs and lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. Though the basic plot is rather simple, even archetypal, the novel's true art lies in its details and hidden patterns. Flaubert was notoriously a perfectionist about his writing and claimed always to be searching for le mot juste ("the right word").