Who was Gustave Flaubert and what were some of his famous novels and works of literature?

Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) was a French novelist who is widely considered one of the greatest writers in Western literature. He is known for his meticulous attention to detail and his realism, which greatly influenced literary movements such as Naturalism and Modernism.

Flaubert's most famous novel is Madame Bovary (1857), a groundbreaking work that explores the unhappiness of a middle-class woman in a small town in France. The novel was controversial at the time of its publication for its frank portrayal of adultery and suicide, and Flaubert was put on trial for obscenity. He was ultimately acquitted, and the novel went on to become a classic of French literature.

Another notable work by Flaubert is Sentimental Education (1869), which follows the lives of two young people in Paris during the revolution of 1848. The novel is a reflection on the failure of political and social change to improve the lives of ordinary people. Flaubert's other works include The Temptation of Saint Anthony (1874), an experimental work that explores the life of the titular saint, and Bouvard and Pécuchet (1881), an unfinished work that satirizes the French middle class.