This volume brings together a series of essays by acknowledged experts on Flaubert. It offers a coherent overview of the writer's work and critical legacy, and provides insights into the very latest scholarly thinking. While a central place is given to Flaubert's most widely read texts, attention is also paid to key areas of the corpus that have tended to be overlooked. Close textual analyses are accompanied by discussion of broader theoretical issues, and by a consideration of Flaubert's place in the wider traditions that he both inherited and influenced. These essays provide not only a robust critical framework for readers of Flaubert, but also a fuller understanding of why he continues to exert such a powerful influence on literature and literary studies today. A concluding essay by the prize-winning author Mario Vargas Llosa examines Flaubert's legacy from the point of view of the modern novelist.

"In this rich and concise volume, 12 respected experts on 19th-century French literature come together to present insightful recent scholarship on Flaubert. The volume concludes with an essay by Mario Vargas Llosa, who analyzes Flaubertas legacy from the point of view of a practicing contemporary author. A chronology and a short up-to-date bibliography, including online and electronic resources, complete this indispensable guide to Flaubert and his world. Essential." CHOICE

"The aim of this volume of fourteen essays, according to Unwin's preface is 'to provde a coherent overview of work and to offer various possible pathways through it, while at the same time offering the reader insights into the latest scholarly thinking' 9xi0. It not only meets that ambitious goal but is a fitting tribute to a writer whos influence on modern literature is undeniable." - Hope Christiansen, University of Arkansas