Few writers have so decisively mastered modern writing as did Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880). Flaubert, who was known for his temperament, devoted his life to writing, in the full sense of the word: he wrote and meticulously re-wrote his manuscripts, and published scarcely. In addition to the novels he has written, including Madame Bovary and Bouvard et Pecuchet (a novel which he did not complete in his lifetime), Flaubert also wrote novellas and short stories, most familiar of which is “A Simple Soul.” After the publication of the first chapters from Madame Bovary in the newspaper, Flaubert was put charged on “damaging public morality” and was put to trial. After winning the trial, the complete novel was published to great success. To this day, Madame Bovary is considered a cornerstone for modern realism. After his death, Flaubert’s diaries and letters were published and revealing in great detail the psychological drama involved in the craft to which Flaubert devoted his life.