Gustave Flaubert is counted among the greatest Western novelists. He was born in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, in the Haute-Normandie Region of France.
Flaubert's curious modes of composition favored and were emphasized by these peculiarities. He worked in sullen solitude, sometimes occupying a week in the completion of one page, never satisfied with what he had composed, violently tormenting his brain for the best turn of a phrase, the most absolutely final adjective. It cannot be said that his incessant labors were not rewarded. His private letters show that he was not one of those to whom easy and correct language is naturally given; he gained his extraordinary perfection with the unceasing sweat of his brow. One of the most severe of academic critics admits that in all his works, and in every page of his works, Flaubert may be considered a model of style.
That he was one of the greatest writers who ever lived in France is now commonly admitted, and his greatness principally depends upon the extraordinary vigour and exactitude of his style.
Mr. Flaubert was born in Rouen which is located in Upper Normandy.
Mr. Flaubert started writing very early in life, at age fifteen he won a prize for an essay on mushrooms.
When studying law in Paris, Mr. Flaubert found that he did not like the city. He did make a few friends though, including Victor Hugo.
Mr. Flaubert had a long relationship with poet Louise Colet, they wrote often and his letters still survived. This was his only serious relationship according to his biographer.
Mr. Flaubert loved to travel, he went to England and all over the Middle East.
Never shy about his sexual habits, Flaubert was very open about his activities with prostitutes of both sexes during his travels.
When Madame Bovary was serialized in a newspaper, the French government sued the author and publisher on charges of immorality. The government lost.
When published as a novel, Madam Bovary was widely admired.
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