Bouvard and Pécuchet

Interesting Facts

• The book tells the story of two clerks, Bouvard and Pécuchet, who decide to leave their jobs and devote themselves to studying various sciences and crafts.
• The main characters of the book constantly fail in their endeavors, highlighting their incompetence and naivety.
• Flaubert uses the characters to satirically depict encyclopedism and the pursuit of knowledge that brings no practical benefit.
• The book remained unfinished due to the author's death, but even in its incomplete form, it is considered an important work.
• Flaubert planned for Bouvard and Pécuchet to return to their original clerical jobs at the end of the book, symbolizing their complete failure in the quest for knowledge.