The Awakening is author Kate Chopin's turn-ofthe- century masterpiece. Often compared to Madame Bovary, this short novel tackles some of the same issues that appear in Flaubert's work.

Candide (1759), by the French author Voltaire, is an earlier example of a work in which the experiences and perceptions of a naive character are used to produce an ironic commentary on society.

Winston Groom's 1986 novel Forrest Gump also uses the life of a naive and good-hearted protagonist to comment on the society of its time—in this case, that of the United States in the late twentieth century. The film adaptation, starring Tom Hanks, was released in 1994.

The Letters of Gustave Flaubert is translator and critic Francis Steegmuller's collection of Flaubert's correspondence during the later years of his life. Entertaining and informative, these letters offer a fascinating look at the author's...