Sentimental Education
The Story of a Young Man
A chance encounter alters the course of a man’s life in Gustave Flaubert’s freshly translated novel Sentimental Education.
Weak-willed, self-centered Frédéric has just graduated from school. On the boat ride home, the sight of a married woman takes over his entire world. From that moment on, every action and inaction is conducted with a single goal in mind: to get closer to refined, beautiful Madame Arnoux. Deep down, Frédéric knows he will never be with her in the way he wants to be; still, his impossible dream leads him toward great sacrifices.
In his quest for Madame Arnoux’s affections, Frédéric surrounds himself with a variety of overconfident men who are obsessed with politics, art, and power. All possess far stronger personalities than he does; he is swept along by the force of their convictions, misplaced though they often are. No price is too high to pay for even the slim chance of his love’s company. Frédéric leaps at, then ignores, professional opportunities, lies to and exploits his friends, and tries to manipulate others to his own advantage. In his everyday life, he is restless and indecisive; in his head, he concocts elaborate fantasies about the woman he believes he loves.
As the Revolution of 1848 unfolds around him, Frédéric remains too enmeshed in his love affairs to play more than an incidental role in historical events. While Paris burns, he enjoys an extended, frivolous stay in the pristine countryside. And as endless political upheaval brings change after change, Frédéric is preoccupied by the consequences of his own actions and a heart too hardened to learn anything from them.
Sentimental Education is a new translation of a classic novel about youthful optimism curdling into cruel cynicism in the face of dissatisfaction.
Reviewed by
Eileen Gonzalez
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
