Bouvard and Pécuchet

Focusing on the folly of human ambition and the pursuit of knowledge, this novel follows two clerks, Bouvard and Pécuchet, who, after inheriting a fortune, attempt to master various fields of study. Their journey through literature, art, science, and philosophy highlights the absurdity of their endeavors and the limits of self-education. Flaubert's satirical narrative critiques the era's obsession with knowledge and the often comical failures of the protagonists, ultimately reflecting on the nature of human experience and the quest for meaning.