Let's be clear: this isn't a straightforward novel. This volume is a collection of Flaubert's early, unpublished works from his late teens and early twenties. Think of it as a literary laboratory. The centerpiece is Novembre, a short, intense novel that feels like a fever dream.

The Story

Novembre follows a young, unnamed man. He's not fighting villains or going on quests. His battle is entirely internal. He's consumed by immense longing—for perfect love, for artistic glory, for a life of grand passion. But his real world is dull and disappointing. He retreats into elaborate fantasies, writing poems and imagining epic romances. The story traces his journey from this heightened, imaginative state into a deep melancholy and physical decline. It's less about plot and more about painting a portrait of a soul that feels too much for the world it's stuck in.

Why You Should Read It

Reading this is like watching a superhero discover their powers, but they're clumsy and it hurts. The prose is often over-the-top and dripping with drama, but flashes of the precise, devastating Flaubert-to-be shine through like lightning. You see him trying on different voices, from cynical satire to swooning romance. The young man in Novembre is frustrating, self-absorbed, and deeply human. His struggle isn't about finding a job or a partner, but about finding a reason to be when reality can't match the beauty in your head. It's a theme Flaubert would master later, but here it's naked and urgent.

Final Verdict

This book is not for casual readers looking for a neat story. It's perfect for Flaubert completists, writers who want to see the messy process behind the masterpiece, and anyone who loves literary history. If you enjoy seeing where great artists come from—the awkward phases, the big feelings, the raw talent before it's refined—you'll find this collection absolutely magnetic. It's a unique chance to meet a legend when he was just a gifted, heartbroken kid with a pen.