“Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work.”
– Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert (12 December 1821 – 8 May 1880) was a French novelist. Highly influential, he has been considered the leading exponent of literary realism in his country. According to the literary theorist Kornelije Kvas, “in Flaubert, realism strives for formal perfection, so the presentation of reality tends to be neutral, emphasizing the values and importance of style as an objective method of presenting reality.” He is particularly famous for his debut novel Madame Bovary (1857), his Correspondence, and his scrupulous devotion to his style and aesthetics.
The publication of Madame Bovary in 1856 was followed by more scandal than admiration; it was not understood at first that this novel was the beginning of something new: the scrupulously truthful portraiture of life. Gradually, this aspect of his genius was accepted, and it began to crowd out all others. At the time of his death, he was widely regarded as the most influential French Realist. Under this aspect Flaubert exercised an extraordinary influence over other writers such as Guy de Maupassant, Edmond de Goncourt, Alphonse Daudet, and Émile Zola. Even after the decline of the Realist school of thought, Flaubert did not lose prestige in the literary community; he continues to appeal to other writers because of his deep commitment to aesthetic principles, his devotion to style, and his indefatigable pursuit of the perfect expression.