Sentimental Education

In 1840s Paris, young Frédéric Moreau falls hopelessly in love with Madame Arnoux, a married woman he meets on a riverboat. What begins as a romantic obsession unfolds over years of political upheaval, financial speculation, and personal betrayal. Frédéric navigates friendships with the cynical Deslauriers, a passionate affair with the courtesan Rosanette, and the intoxicating allure of revolutionary ideals. As the 1848 Revolution erupts, his dreams of love and success collide with the harsher realities of ambition, class, and his own weakness. Flaubert’s masterful novel—here presented in vivid, contemporary English—captures the ache of youthful hope and the quiet tragedy of unmet desires. It is a story of education in the truest sense: learning what the heart wants, and what it cannot have. Part of Timeless Classics.