I really did not like this book. Barnes may write well, but in this book at least he had nothing to say.
This was an interesting look into the life of Gustave Flaubert through the eyes of Geoffrey Braithwaite. It is cleverly written with diverse chapters which are biographical, comical, interesting but sometimes reads like a textbook. If you are a Flaubert scholar and enjoy his writings such as; Madame Bovary, then I suggest that you read this book in order to learn more information about Flaubert.