Sentimental EducationSentimental Education
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1840, Frédéric Moreau, a young man from the provinces on his way to study law in Paris, meets Madame Arnoux, an older, married woman, and falls in love with her for the rest of his life. Over the following decades, through the Revolution of 1848, Frédéric drifts through Paris society, love affairs and failed ambitions, never quite acting.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. Flaubert called it the moral history of his generation.
You'll love it if you liked
Madame Bovary
The Red and the Black
Anna KareninaGood to know
It's long, and Frédéric is passive by design. The revolutionary politics need some background.
By the numbers
- Readers12 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller13 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Gustave Flaubert
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Quick answers
Is Sentimental Education worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books. It ranks #2,351 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 60.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Sentimental Education about?
In 1840, Frédéric Moreau, a young man from the provinces on his way to study law in Paris, meets Madame Arnoux, an older, married woman, and falls in love with her for the rest of his life. Over the following decades, through the Revolution of 1848, Frédéric drifts through Paris society, love affairs and failed ambitions, never quite acting.
How long does it take to read Sentimental Education?
About 14 hours (548 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Sentimental Education?
If you liked it, try Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, The Red and the Black by Stendhal or Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.