Sentimental Education

By: Gustave Flaubert

Narrated by: Michael Maloney

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Frederic Moreau is a law student returning home to Normandy from Paris when he first notices Mme Arnoux, a slender, dark woman several years older than himself. It is the beginning of an infatuation that will last a lifetime. He befriends her husband, an influential businessman, and their paths cross and re-cross over the years. Through financial upheaval, political turmoil, and countless affairs, Mme Arnoux remains the constant, unattainable love of Moreau’s life.

Based on Flaubert’s own youthful passion for an older woman, Sentimental Education blends love story, historical authenticity, and satire to create one of the greatest French novels of the 19th century.

Public Domain (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Tedious

Normally I like to get my teeth into a 'big' book, but not this time. Far too much rather boring detail of the pathetic emotional career of one of life's losers

brilliant narration! very good.

the only thing is that the narration is not entirly synced with the kindle version

Magnificent story, excellent narration!

Read this thr first time when I was even younger than the protagonist. Listened to Audible version now as a senior and was struck by the vicissitudes of youth and the regrets of the mature mind. For some reason Moreau’s over indulgent self regard and sensitivities went over my head as a inexperienced teen. But I found his character to be annoying at best as I reheard this tale decades later. The superb narration brought this novel to superior levels of enjoyment, much like hearing a play. I will be lookjng for more of the narrator’s work in future!

Flaubert's Notebook for Bovary

I mean, it's Flaubert, so hard to not just say it's all brilliant. I tried to read the book (translation) and kept getting interrupted. So I decided to listen. The reading was good! Even in English translation, Flaubert is a master of the sentence. I think of The Way We Live Now (Trollope) after listening to this. Read them together : ) Some really pithy gems of political commentary throughout this novel. And, in the end, a slice of life. Character wise, we get close to Frederick, but the others are rather out of a painting. Except maybe his best friend, at the end. We see him.

When Crimes of Passion Were All the Fashion

Frederic Moreau comes of age in 1840s Paris. Given to flowery fancies of romance, he falls "in love" with Madame Arnoux, a lady at least a decade his senior, and becomes frustrated with the failed revolution of 1848, a Parisian fiasco. Flaubert said he set out to write a "moral history of the men of [his] generation...the history of their feelings... a book about love, about passion... inactive."

I enjoyed the book not so much for the love on verge of coital, a story line that lost its steam about halfway through the novel, but for its lampooning of a decadent, egocentric French society filled with superficial characters given to whimsy, such as the banker Dambreuse, "a man so habituated to corruption that he would happily pay for the pleasure of selling himself." C. Hitchens, “The Rat That Roared,” Wall Street Journal, 2/06/03.

I found Madame Bovary's abbreviated life much more compelling and revelatory than Monsieur Moreau's romantic adventures in pursuit of Madame Arnoux.

Good, needs historical context

This is a remarkably well written book with depth and commentary which will probably take several successive readings for me to parse out. It feels very modern while also painting a very vivid picture of 19th century Paris. You may want to brush up on your French history before tackling this book. It takes place during the years leading up to the February Revolution in 1848.

Flaubert said he wanted to write a moral history of the men of his generation. As he said, "It's a book about love, about passion; but passion such as can exist nowadays--that is to say, inactive." I couldn't say it better myself.

Superlative narrator enhances Flaubert's prose

I fell in love with the performance given by Michael Maloney. Flaubert already writes with such grace and poetry, but Maloney's narration, both gentle and dramatic, brings out the full splendor of the writing. The story of Frédéric 's life-long adoration of Madame Arnoux is rather hard to comprehend nowadays, but this was standard fare in nineteenth-century novels. highly recommended!

Superb!

Beautiful. This recording really captures the aesthetic brilliance of Flaubert. Every sentence is precious gold. The narrator is so clear and he captures the drama and subtlety perfectly. This is maybe the best audiobook I've ever listened to. This is why audiobooks should exist. Flaubert has always intrigued me but his books were not easy for me to get into, for whatever reason. This really allowed me to finally "read" Flaubert.

An outstanding performance

The narrator was extraordinarily good. I really enjoyed his rendering. Thanks a lot, Michael Maloney

First Flaubert

A beautiful and melancholic story about a wandering young man in search of meaning through the boring and exciting events of day to day life. This was my first book by Flaubert and I will definitely try some more of his work.
RemInded me of Jung’s theory of a man’s relationship with his “anima”.
Also one of the best narrations I’ve heard!