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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
One of the best word-of-mouth recommendations I've ever received -- I loved this from start to finish, both for its content and its style. Sentimental Education benefits from a comic streak sometimes missing from Madame Bovary, and is all the better for it. I loved it -- Frederic is the immortal Will from The Inbetweeeners.
Beautifully written, somewhat boring and lengthy but with my Intellectual History class, an absolute treat to read. I love the parallels to the characters flaw of ideals with imagination and ambition to that of the Romanticism Era and failures of the Revolution of 1848. Flaubert seems to be pointing out that humans are too influenced by sentiments to see in a clear vision. This analysis is rooted in the age historical view that people are either too weak, naive, and optimistic or that people are petty, opportunistic, and motivated by self-interest. So the world is now divided into the fools and the people who take advantage of the fools. The Revolution of 1848 is often seen as a farce to the first revolution in Paris and even the characters seem to be theatrical and farce like. These revolutions attempted to change society but failed because to Flaubert, humans are incapable of doing disinterest acts and are too self centered, constantly confusing reality with their own fantasy, dreams, and illusions like Frederic and the other characters.
Don't you hate it when you end up not liking any characters from a novel, nor the plot, nor the entire thing? Me too.
I wish I had more to say about Sentimental Education. The main reason I read it was because of Professor Wilder from Dawson's Creek. He stated that the end of this novel is the saddest ending in literature ever, and while I disagree with him due to the fact that I can not find one shred of sympathy for Frederic nor Madame Arnoux in my body, I understand the sentiment.
"Flaubert believed that anticipation was the purest form of pleasure, and the most reliable. And that while the things that actually happened to you would invariably disappoint, the things that never happened to you would never dim. Never fade. They would always be engraved in your heart with a sort of sweet sadness. " - Professor Wilder
That quote resonates with me a lot more than the novel does.
Oh, and don't even get me started on Pellerin and his aversion to realism.
I wish I had more to say about Sentimental Education. The main reason I read it was because of Professor Wilder from Dawson's Creek. He stated that the end of this novel is the saddest ending in literature ever, and while I disagree with him due to the fact that I can not find one shred of sympathy for Frederic nor Madame Arnoux in my body, I understand the sentiment.
"Flaubert believed that anticipation was the purest form of pleasure, and the most reliable. And that while the things that actually happened to you would invariably disappoint, the things that never happened to you would never dim. Never fade. They would always be engraved in your heart with a sort of sweet sadness. " - Professor Wilder
That quote resonates with me a lot more than the novel does.
Oh, and don't even get me started on Pellerin and his aversion to realism.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
After the irony of Madame Bovary, it surprised me how straight-forward this book is. It didn't feel like much was gained in his adulterous revelry. He just sort of drifted through life without ever evolving.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This novel contains approximately 600 pages of an unlikeable womanizer NOT having sex with the woman for whom he maintains a life-long boner.
And yet, I couldn't wait to read it to the end. That's French literature for you!
And yet, I couldn't wait to read it to the end. That's French literature for you!