居斯塔夫·福樓拜(1821-1880)，19世紀法國現實主義文學大師。生於法國西北部盧昂城的一個醫生世傢。童年在父親的醫院裏度過，因此他以後的文學創作明顯帶有醫生的細緻觀察與剖析的痕跡。1841年進入巴黎大學法學院學習。1843年他在法科考試中失敗，次年又突發神經官能癥，從此中斷學業，常年住在父母的剋魯瓦塞莊園，期間他開始嘗試創作長篇小說。1846年福樓拜的父親和妹妹卡羅蓮去世，福樓拜將妹妹的女兒接到自己身邊，盡心照顧母親和外甥女，終身未娶。1880年5月8日，他因患腦溢血去世。

福樓拜是繼巴爾紮剋、斯湯達之後19世紀法固批判現實主義文學的第三位傑齣代錶。他在藝術上另闢蹊徑，形成瞭自己獨特的藝術風格，創造瞭所謂"純客觀"的藝術，豐富和發展瞭19世紀的現實主義。主要作品有長篇小說《包法利夫人》、《情感教育》，短篇小說《淳樸的心》，劇本《女性》等。

"Sentimental Education," by Gustave Flaubert, is part of the "Barnes and Noble Classics"" "series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of "Barnes and Noble Classics": New introductions commissioned from today's top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader's viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices and Glossaries, when appropriateAll editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. "Barnes and Noble Classics "pulls together a constellation of influences-biographical, historical, and literary-to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. Considered one of the greatest French novels of the nineteenth century, "Sentimental Education" blends brilliantly realized details of a tumultuous time and place with the intimate story of a lifelong romantic obsession, one that closely mirrors the central passion of Flaubert's own life. Set amid the violent social upheaval of the Revolution of 1848, the novel tells of young Frederic Moreau's idealistic attraction to a married woman some years his senior. Smitten by his first sight of Madame Arnoux, Frederic idolizes her for many years, despite herrefusal to encourage him and his own indecision. He befriends her husband, an art dealer, in order to be near her, and soon finds himself drawn first into Jacques Arnoux's heady social circle and then into his disastrous financial speculations. As a young teenager, Flaubert himself became romantically obsessed with a married woman with whom he kept in touch for the rest of his life, and many of the characters in Sentimental Education, including Madame Arnoux, are based on friends and acquaintances of the great French author. In this vivid novel, all are beset by financial difficulties, ideological conflicts, and friendship betrayed as their lives are changed forever by the revolution. Claudie Bernard is Professor of French literature at New York University, and the author of "Le Chouan Romanesque, Balzac, Barbey d'Aurevilly, Hugo, Le Passe recompose, le roman historique francais au dix-neuvieme siecle," and of many essays on nineteenth-century French literature and the history of ideas.