Salammbo

Name: Salammbo
Author: Gustave Flaubert

By Gustave Flaubert

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French Literature Novels

About This Book

Set in ancient Carthage, the narrative follows a violent uprising of unpaid mercenaries that lays bare civic corruption, factional politics, and the fragility of order. As sieges, councils, and negotiations unfold, a sacred cult object and its rituals become the focus of obsession, provoking sacrilege and escalating brutality. A clandestine, passionate attachment between a highborn priestess and a rebel links private desire to public catastrophe, and richly rendered scenes of banquets, temples, battle, and ritual create an atmosphere of opulence, cruelty, and doomed longing that culminates in betrayal and ritualized violence.

About the Author

Gustave Flaubert

Gustave Flaubert was a prominent French novelist and a key figure in literary realism. Born in 1821, he is best known for his groundbreaking work "Madame Bovary," which explores the life of a disillusioned woman seeking escape from her provincial existence. Flaubert's meticulous attention to detail and innovative narrative techniques have left a lasting impact on modern literature. His other notable works include "Sentimental Education," which reflects on the complexities of youth and ambition, and "Bouvard and Pécuchet," a satirical examination of bourgeois life. Flaubert's exploration of themes such as desire, disillusionment, and the search for meaning continues to resonate with readers today.