num_pages: 445
description: "A Sentimental Education" is the story of young lawyer Frederic Moreau's infatuation with the demurely exotic Madame Arnoux in 19th century France. Frederic's puppy love for Mme Arnoux is at first steadfast and idealistic, and she remains faithful to her rather frivolous husband. Frederic's love ends in disillusionment, as do the subsequent passions of his life. His youthful ambitions lead to failure and boredom, and his idealistic views of social progress are disappointed by reality. Among the novel's most remarkable qualities is Flaubert's vivid and faithful presentation of its social and political setting, including the Revolution of 1848, the republic that followed the overthrow of King Louis Philippe, and the mood of the French people amid the era's many changes.
language: English
title: The Sentimental Education
titlecomplete: The Sentimental Education
characters: Frédéric Moreau, Mme Dambreuse, Marthe Arnoux, Charles Deslauriers, Mme Arnoux
genres: Literature, Classics, Literary Fiction, Novels, 19th Century, France, Historical Fiction, French Literature, Fiction, Romance
ratings_count: 21524
places: Aube department, France, Paris, Normandy, Nogent-sur-Seine, Aube
publisher: New American Library