Reviews

Sentimental Education by Robert Baldick, Gustave Flaubert, Geoffrey Wall

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gio_gaglia's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

gigiki's review against another edition

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3.0

The book is well written with a language that constructs images in your head. It travels you into the life of Paris in last century.

The plot is slow and smooth.

I liked best the last 50 pages of the book.

While was ok to read it did not keep me fascinated.

erinreadseverything's review against another edition

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challenging

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

msgtdameron's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

As I read this I could not help but see the comparison between Flabert's work and Dostoevsky's "The Idiot". It is very obvious that Dostoevsky read "Sentimental Ed" while he was voyaging through France and Germany. The plots are very similar. The main difference being the Prince in "The Idiot" is really an idiot as defined by late 19th Century psychology. More likely high functioning autistic / aspergers as defined today. But, Frederic is really a mid 19th Century rich, family money, playboy who can't make a bloody decision. Multiple times through out this work I find myself screaming at the work, "Grow some balls you dam fool!!! Make a bloody decision!!! Don't take the worst decision which is no decision!!!! How stupid can you be." Yea, OK yelling at a novel is dumb, but Frederic will drive any one who made decisions as a part of his/her every days work absolutely to distraction. And yet even with this "Sentimental Ed" is a wonderful work.