2½ stars - I found this more amusing in concept than in execution. Flaubert's satire just didn't strike a chord with me, although I found some sections highly entertaining. I think that for me, the main problem was that Bouvard and Pécuchet were just foils for the author to voice his opinions about the different subjects and so never became sympathetic - their ineptitude eventually grew to be irritating.

I did particularly like the section about educating Victor and Victorine, which I almost missed due to my ebook missing the last two chapters. So a word of warning to those who are reading an ebook edition - make sure that you have TEN chapters! Most of the public domain ebooks only have the first 8 chapters! ( )

El azar de una calurosa jornada reune a Bouvard y a Pecuchet: solitarios, ya no tan jovenes, modestos empleados de oficina, son -no tardan en descubrirlo- dos almas gemelas perplejas en el caos de la vida moderna. Una herencia y un vago deseo de retiro filosofico y del cultivo de la sabiduria haran que se abismen en la agricultura, la quimica, la geologia, la medicina, la pedagogia, la historia, la literatura, la alquimiab& Pero su recompensa, lejos de lo que esperaban, les llenara de escepticismo, y el desanimo no tardara en aparecer. Esta autentica farsa filosofica, publicada postumamente en 1881, ha sido considerada por muchos como la culminacion literaria de ese implacable observador de la naturaleza humana y las infinitas manifestaciones de la estupidez que fue Gustave Flaubert.

So tedious. The joke is exhausted in the first 100 pages. Unfortunately the book continues for several more. ( )

Bouvard and Pécuchet by Gustave Flaubert
4 stars
Bouvard and Pécuchet meet by chance and from that day forward, they are inseparable. When Bouvard inherits from his uncle, the two go south, buying a farm. To occupy themselves, they take up studies in many subjects, usually giving up the second they are stymied. This was delightful to read, although very repetitive. The characters were so funny, fancying themselves scholars and experts after reading a few books on a topic. This was Flaubert's last, left unfinished, though the ending it has works as one. It is said to be his criticism of the arts and sciences, but I saw criticism of those people who study too much and forget to experience their subject.
While reading this, I listened to classical music from the Romantic period (DeBussy, Saint-Saens, and Berlioz, to name a few). The music was light and picaresque, much like the novel. ( )

Well I related to Bouvard and Pecuchet because I also read for knowledge. I hope my application of what i learn comes across a little better than theirs. This book was referenced in AJ Jacobs book "The know it all" which was a really fun read. I did the audiobook and forgot to write down the name of Bouvard and Pecuchet and I emailed AJ. Either he isnt as megafamous as i thought or he is truly a nice guy because he emailed me back with the name of the book.

Some part of this book i couldnt tell if it was hard to follow because it was translated or if it was just the way it was written. ( )