10 Gustave Flaubert Books for Free! [PDF]

A Simple Soul is one of Gustave Flaubert's most tender and carefully crafted works. Published in 1877 as part of his collection "Three Tales" (Trois Contes), this novella tells the life story of Félicité, a humble servant whose capacity for love is as vast as her circumstances are modest.

The story follows Félicité through decades of quiet devotion: to her mistress Madame Aubain, to the children Virginie and Paul, to her nephew Victor, and finally to a pet parrot named Loulou. Each person she loves is taken from her by death or distance, yet her spirit never hardens. Instead, her affection finds new objects, culminating in a strange and moving spiritual vision.

The interesting thing about this author is that Flaubert, known for his exacting realism in "Madame Bovary," wrote this story with unusual warmth. Many scholars believe Félicité was modeled on a real servant from his childhood household. More relevant today than when it was written, the novella raises questions about whose lives we consider worthy of literature, and answers with quiet conviction: everyone's.

Bouvard and Pecuchet is Gustave Flaubert's final novel, left unfinished at the time of his death in 1880. It follows two Parisian copy clerks who meet by chance, become fast friends, and decide to retire to the countryside to pursue every branch of human knowledge.

From agriculture to philosophy, from archaeology to education, Bouvard and Pecuchet throw themselves into one discipline after another, failing spectacularly each time. Their earnest but misguided experiments become a devastating comic catalogue of intellectual pretension and the limits of self-taught learning.

More relevant today than when it was written, this satirical novel speaks directly to our age of information overload and amateur expertise. Flaubert spent over a decade researching more than 1,500 books to craft this encyclopedia of human stupidity, and the result is one of the sharpest comedies in French literature.

Herodias is one of Gustave Flaubert's Three Tales, a short but powerful retelling of the biblical story behind the beheading of John the Baptist. Few people know this book, but it stands as one of the finest examples of historical fiction in French literature.

Set in the fortress of Machaerus, the story follows Herod Antipas as he navigates political tensions with Rome while his wife Herodias schemes to silence the imprisoned prophet Iaokanann. The atmosphere is dense with intrigue, religious conflict, and the volatile politics of ancient Judea.

Flaubert poured years of archaeological and biblical research into these pages, creating a vivid portrait of a world on the edge of transformation. More relevant today than when it was written, this tale explores how power, desire, and fanaticism collide with devastating consequences. You can read it for free right here.

Madame Bovary is the story of a woman who longs for a life as passionate as the romances she reads. Trapped in a dull marriage, Emma Bovary seeks escape in forbidden love and reckless desires, only to find herself caught in a web of deception and despair.

Gustave Flaubert paints a stunning portrait of longing, illusion, and the price of chasing impossible dreams. Bold, tragic, and beautifully written, this novel remains one of the most captivating tales of love and self-destruction ever told.

Over Strand and Field is Gustave Flaubert's captivating travel narrative through the wild landscapes of Brittany. Written in 1847 alongside his friend Maxime Du Camp, it remained unpublished until after Flaubert's death, making it one of his most intimate and unfiltered works.

The book chronicles a walking tour across Brittany's rugged coastline, ancient churches, and forgotten villages. Flaubert's prose transforms every crumbling cathedral and stormy shore into vivid, almost painterly scenes, blending sharp observation with lyrical reflection.

Few people know this book, but it offers a rare window into Flaubert before he became the meticulous craftsman of Madame Bovary. Here you can feel the young writer testing his voice, unrestrained and full of energy. It is surprisingly accessible and more relevant today than when it was written for anyone who loves travel literature with real literary depth.

Salammbo is Gustave Flaubert's epic historical novel set in ancient Carthage during the Mercenary Revolt of 241-237 BC. It tells the story of Salammbo, a priestess and daughter of the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, and her entanglement with Matho, a Libyan mercenary leader who steals the sacred veil of the goddess Tanit.

Few people know this book, but it stands as one of the most vivid and meticulously researched historical novels of the 19th century. Flaubert spent years studying ancient sources to recreate the world of Carthage with stunning detail, from its religious rituals to its brutal warfare.

This free edition lets you experience Flaubert's extraordinary vision of the ancient world. Ideal for readers who love historical fiction with rich atmosphere and complex characters caught between passion and duty.

The story follows Frédéric Moreau as he navigates through 19th-century Parisian society, pursuing his romantic and professional ambitions. He falls in love with Madame Arnoux, but their relationship is complicated by circumstances. "Sentimental Education" explores themes of love, ambition, disillusionment, and the decay of society.

The George Sand collects the private correspondence between two literary giants of 19th-century France: George Sand and Gustave Flaubert. Spanning from 1863 to Sand's death in 1876, these letters reveal a friendship built on mutual respect, intellectual debate, and genuine affection.

What makes this collection so compelling is the contrast between the two writers. Sand was optimistic, passionate, and politically engaged. Flaubert was skeptical, solitary, and devoted to art for its own sake. Their disagreements on life, politics, and literature never broke the bond between them.

This free edition, translated by Aimee L. McKenzie, gives you a front-row seat to one of the most fascinating literary friendships ever documented. Ideal for readers interested in French literature, the craft of writing, or the history of ideas in post-revolutionary France.

The Temptation os St Antony is Gustave Flaubert's philosophical vision of the desert hermit Saint Anthony, tormented by hallucinations of heretics, gods, and mythical creatures. Written over nearly three decades, this is Flaubert's most personal and experimental work, a book where faith, doubt, and desire collide in vivid, hallucinatory prose.

The interesting thing about this author is that Flaubert, known for the precise realism of Madame Bovary, poured his wildest imagination into this text. It reads like a fever dream through the entire history of religious thought, from ancient heresies to pagan mythology. Few people know this book, but it influenced generations of writers and thinkers.

This free edition lets you experience one of the boldest experiments in 19th-century literature. If you liked Flaubert's other works, this one will surprise you with how far he was willing to go.

Three Short Works collects three of Flaubert's finest novellas: "A Simple Soul," "The Legend of Saint Julian the Hospitaller," and "Herodias." Published in 1877, this was the last work Flaubert completed in his lifetime, and it shows a writer at the peak of his craft.

Each story takes a radically different approach to faith, sacrifice, and devotion. From a humble servant in rural Normandy to a medieval saint driven by guilt, to the biblical tale behind the beheading of John the Baptist, Flaubert explores what it means to believe with surgical precision and unexpected tenderness.

These three novellas are surprisingly accessible compared to Flaubert's longer novels. They offer the perfect entry point if you want to experience one of the greatest prose stylists in literary history, free and in a single sitting.