 gustave flaubert (; 12 december 1821 &ndash; 8 may 1880) was an influential french writer. he is known especially for his first published novel, madame bovary (1857), for his correspondence, and for his scrupulous devotion to his style and aesthetics. the celebrated short story writer maupassant was a protÃ©gÃ© of flaubert. ==life== ===early life and education=== flaubert was born on 12 december 1821, in rouen, in the seine-maritime department of upper normandy, in northern france. he was the second son of anne justine caroline (nÃ©e fleuriot; 1793â1872) and achille-clÃ©ophas flaubert (1784â1846), director and senior surgeon of the major hospital in rouen."gustave flaubert's life", madame bovary, alma classics edition, page 309, publ 2010, isbn 978-1-84749-322-4 he began writing at an early age, as early as eight according to some sources.gustave flaubert, the letters of gustave flaubert 1830â1857 (cambridge: harvard university press, 1980) isbn 0-674-52636-8 he was educated at the lycÃ©e pierre corneille in rouen,lycÃ©e pierre corneille de rouen â history and did not leave until 1840, when he went to paris to study law. in paris, he was an indifferent student and found the city distasteful. he made a few acquaintances, including victor hugo. toward the end of 1840, he traveled in the pyrenees and corsica. in 1846, after an attack of epilepsy, he left paris and abandoned the study of law. ===personal life=== from 1846 to 1854, flaubert had a relationship with the poet louise colet; his letters to her survive. after leaving paris, he returned to croisset, near the seine, close to rouen, and lived there for the rest of his life. he made occasional visits to paris and england, where he a
1821_births 1880_deaths 19th-century_French_novelists Bisexual_men Bisexual_writers Deaths_from_stroke French_fantasy_writers French_historical_novelists French_short_story_writers LGBT_novelists LGBT_writers_from_France LycA(c)e_Pierre-Corneille_alumni People_from_Rouen Writers_from_Upper_Normandy