← Reading Pathways
BetterReads · A reading pathway
French Realism
Provincial boredom, Parisian ambition, and the grind beneath prosperity.
Step 1 · Bovary
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
Desire curdled in provincial Normandy
Step 2 · Lost Illusions
Lost Illusions
Honoré de Balzac
Talent, journalism, and the price of ascent
Step 3 · Eugénie
Eugénie Grandet
Honoré de Balzac
Avarice, devotion, and a house turned cold
Step 4 · Germinal
Germinal
Émile Zola
Strike, hunger, and the earth that outlasts us
Step 5 · Sentimental Education
Sentimental Education
Gustave Flaubert
Ambition curdled in love and politics
Step 6 · Bel Ami
Bel Ami
Guy de Maupassant
A handsome arriviste rises by charm and betrayal