Sebastien's Reviews > L'Éducation sentimentale

Going into this book I was not sure what to expect. I hadn’t read an older classic in some time, and was leery that it might prove boring and overly, well... sentimental. But it wasn't boring, at least for me. Really got into this one, loved it in fact. But you have to be down for a lot of emotional musings (and willing to put up with the constant desire to punch the main character in the face).

The main character, a youth by the name of Frederic Moreau, is an absolutely frustrating character with overwrought emotions and selfish to the bone, but that’s the point. The dynamic of relationships and his inability to transcend his personal limitations is fantastically executed. While he is a product of his time, given his money and societal position he has the luxury to jack around all day, I do think there are parallels to contemporary society and problems we face: namely young people facing the existential dilemma of lack of purpose. So in this way, I do think many contemporary readers could connect with the problems of Frederic.

Trying to counter his listless existence, Frederic forms a fixation on Mme Arnoux, akin to idolatry. This love interest becomes his whole life’s purpose. He tries to give this love a magical ethereal sheen, but I saw this love as paper thin and a mask for his life’s much deeper problems and lack of fulfillment. Today, a lost youth can get ensorcelled by extremist movements (and in the book, many of Frederic’s friends do, because like him many of them are lost in their own ways and trying to fill the void). But for Frederic the path is this totemic idealization of a woman. Frederic is so obsessed, his inability to find inner peace pushes him to chase after this idealized external source like a mad dog, believing that realizing this love will finally grant him happiness.

Frederic inhabits the world of French high society. The book presents a harsh view of this world and its denizens, who come across as soulless and petty (which I don’t doubt is relatively accurate!). So many of the characters and people Frederic associates with are vipers, each with their own designs and manipulative tactics. Petty schemers, willing to opportunistically cloak themselves in whatever politics will best suit their momentary interests. Willing to backstab their friends the minute it can serve their agenda. Frederic does this as well. I can’t help but feel Flaubert had a pessimistic view of the world and people in general. Nevertheless I found myself rooting for Frederic throughout, hoping he’d find a way to transcend his personal limitations.

Many of the characters are searching for two things, love and money, sometimes wanting the latter as a means to achieve the former. There are times when some of the characters, even Frederic, attain a type of honest decency when they are showing their true emotions in their search for a companion. But in the end, I found most of the characters, including Frederic, to be highly unlikeable. (guy needed a good kick in the ass to set him straight!)

The historical aspects are nicely woven into the story and feature some amount of internal French politics of the time. It’s not too heavy and works well as a window into this particular time and place in French history and society.

It’s funny, because I can’t help but think of this novel as very “French,” especially regarding how it treats emotions and the minutiae of romantic feelings. The obsessiveness can strike one as silly and ridiculous, and I think a lot of readers might find it off putting because the obsessiveness can read as bizarre and archaic. But it worked for me because the problems faced by the characters are the same problems many face today: how to find meaning in this world, especially when the backbone of what holds society together (gov, religion, community, etc) has broken down or is constantly shifting beneath our feet (19th century France being turbulent times, but our own as well). And in this turbulence individuals find various refuges in what I'd call "false gods," whether it be ideologies regarding art (Pellerin in this book), politics (most of the characters in this book), idolatrous love (Frederic), etc... and tragically subsume our identity into these ideological cul-de-sacs where we end up asphyxiating our spirit.