Publisher's Synopsis
Bouvard and Pecuchet is a tragicomic novel written by Gustave Flaubert, which tells the story of two middle-aged clerks, Bouvard and Pecuchet, who decide to retire from their jobs and pursue their lifelong dream of becoming intellectuals. The novel follows their misadventures as they attempt to educate themselves in various fields, including agriculture, literature, and philosophy.Despite their best efforts, Bouvard and Pecuchet constantly find themselves failing in their endeavors, often due to their own ignorance and naivety. They become obsessed with collecting knowledge, but are never able to apply it in a practical manner. Their attempts at farming, for example, result in a series of disasters, and their literary endeavors are met with ridicule and rejection.As the novel progresses, Bouvard and Pecuchet's lives become increasingly absurd and tragic. They are unable to find any real meaning or purpose in their pursuits, and their friendship begins to deteriorate. In the end, their quest for knowledge leads them to a tragic and ironic fate.Bouvard and Pecuchet is a satirical critique of bourgeois life and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Flaubert uses humor and irony to expose the limitations of the middle-class mentality and the dangers of intellectual arrogance. The novel is a masterful exploration of the human condition, and a timeless reminder of the dangers of hubris and the importance of humility.Ten Volume Set.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
