The Temptation of St. Antony (Gustave Flaubert, 1874)

Flaubert is much better known for Madame Bovary (on our Great Books reading lists in the late 1970s) and A Sentimental Education (discussed here). He took a stab at doing a - well, I don't know how to describe this, a fantasy? - early in his career. This was based on the famous temptations endured by St. Antony (one of those third-century saints who lived as a hermit in the desert, or was up on a pole for awhile, or perhaps both). But his friends told him the book was awful.

He came back to the idea in the 1870s - after tinkering with it from time to time, and after finding great success with the two books noted.

I didn't quite know what to make of it. St. Antony is weak with hunger, somewhat regretful of the path he took; endures a long night in which every type of temptation shows up. Flaubert must have been incredibly knowledgeable about ancient gods, old heresies, myths, etc.

Artists liked this story also, I include a painting attributed to Bosch.

Sentimental Education (Gustave Flaubert, 1869)

"Based on Flaubert’s own youthful passion for an older woman, Sentimental Education was described by its author as "the moral history of the men of my generation."

It follows the amorous adventures of Frederic Moreau, a law student who, returning home to Normandy from Paris, 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 as their paths cross and re-cross over the years, Mme Arnoux remains the constant, unattainable love of Moreau’s life.

Blending love story, historical authenticity, and satire, Sentimental Education is one of the great French novels of the nineteenth century.”

He also hangs out with “the Marshal,” and the widow of a wealthy banker; also a girl from his hometown. Also hangs out with friends, including deLorrier. Historical context = 1848 revolutionary atmosphere, founding of the Second Empire.

Listened to this in a "books on tape" format.