A law student in Paris dreams of professional success, but his aspirations turn toward amour upon a chance encounter with a married woman. Set amid the revolution of 1848, Flaubert's masterpiece combines political and social upheaval with scrutiny of individual motives in a compelling blend of romance, history, and satire. Reprint of the Brentano's, New York, 1922 edition; Introduction, New Directions, New York, 1957.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert Bored and unhappy in a lifeless marriage, Emma Bovary yearns to escape from the dull circumstances of provincial life. Powerful, deeply moving examination of the moral degeneration of a middle-class Frenchwoman.
The Necklace and Other Short Stories by Guy de Maupassant Nine memorable classics: "Ball of Fat," "The Necklace," "A Piece of String," "Mme. Tellier's Establishment," "Mademoiselle Fifi," "Miss Harriet," "A Way to Wealth," "My Uncle Jules," and "The Horla."
Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac, Ellen Marriage This outstanding French realist novel contrasts the social progress of an impoverished but ambitious aristocrat with that of a father whose obsessive love leads to personal and financial ruin. "The modern King Lear"—Leslie Stephen.
