About the book
Bouvard and Pécuchet are two Chaplinesque copy-clerks who meet on a park bench in Paris. Following an unexpected inheritance, they decide to give up their jobs and explore the world of ideas.
In this, his last novel, unfinished on his death in 1880, Flaubert attempted to encompass his lifelong preoccupation with bourgeois stupidity and his disgust at the banalities of intellectual life in France. Into it he poured all his love of detail, his delight in the life of the mind, his despair of human nature, and his pleasure in passionate friendship. The result is “a kind of encyclopedia made into farce,” wholly grotesque and wholly original, in the spirit of Gargantua and Pantagruel, Don Quixote or Ulysses.
Editions of Bouvard and Pecuchet
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780140443202
Read an Excerpt
Bouvard and Pécuchet are two Chaplinesque copy-clerks who meet on a park bench in Paris. Following an unexpected inheritance, they decide to give up their jobs and explore the world of ideas.
In this, his last novel, unfinished on his death in 1880, Flaubert attempted to encompass his lifelong preoccupation with bourgeois stupidity and his disgust at the banalities of intellectual life in France. Into it he poured all his love of detail, his delight in the life of the mind, his despair of human nature, and his pleasure in passionate friendship. The result is “a kind of encyclopedia made into farce,” wholly grotesque and wholly original, in the spirit of Gargantua and Pantagruel, Don Quixote or Ulysses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bouvard and Pecuchet about?
Bouvard and Pécuchet are two Chaplinesque copy-clerks who meet on a park bench in Paris. Following an unexpected inheritance, they decide to give up their jobs and explore the world of ideas.
In this, his last novel, unfinished on his death in 1880, Flaubert attempted to encompass his lifelong preoccupation with bourgeois stupidity and his disgust at the banalities of intellectual life in France. Into it he poured all his love of detail, his delight in the life of the mind, his despair of human nature, and his pleasure in passionate friendship. The result is “a kind of encyclopedia made into farce,” wholly grotesque and wholly original, in the spirit of Gargantua and Pantagruel, Don Quixote or Ulysses.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Bouvard and Pecuchet?
Fiction > Fiction: literary and general non-genre > Classic fiction: literary and general
Where can I read a sample of Bouvard and Pecuchet?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780140443202
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Bouvard and Pecuchet?
Gustave Flaubert
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Bouvard and Pecuchet is available as paperback(ISBN 9780140443202)
Where can I buy Bouvard and Pecuchet online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Bouvard and Pecuchet?