Bouvard and Pecuchet (Electronic book text)

"Bouvard and Pecuchet" is a satirical work by Gustave Flaubert. "Bouvard and Pecuchet" details the adventures of two Parisian copy-clerks, Francois Denys Bartholomee Bouvard and Juste Romain Cyrille Pecuchet, of the same age and nearly identical temperament. They meet one hot summer day in 1838 by the canal Saint-Martin and form an instant, symbiotic friendship. When Bouvard inherits a sizable fortune, the two decide to move to the countryside. They find a large property near the town of Chavignolles in Normandy. Their search for intellectual stimulation leads them, over the course of years, to flounder through almost every branch of knowledge. Flaubert uses their quest to expose the hidden weaknesses of the sciences and arts, as nearly every project Bouvard and Pecuchet set their minds on comes to grief. Their endeavours are interleaved with the story of their deteriorating relations with the local villagers; and the Revolution of 1848 is the occasion for much despondent discussion.