Book Review : Flaubert’s Parrot by Julian Barnes

This is a book with a format I’ve never read before.

It’s a fictional scrapbook about the life and work of Gustave Flaubert, he of Madame Bovary fame. The narrator is a retired doctor called Geoffrey Braithwaite who is obsesessed with Flaubert and a desire to explain his wife’s death – was it suicide? There are lists, chronological explanations, descriptions of animals associated with Flaubert, and questions and answers.

The book is a kind of biography where explanations are provided for certain parts of Flaubert’s life and books. It’s a fascinating read that gradually reveals aspects of Flaubert’s character and identifies the humanity in the man and his work.