This novella left me with a profound sense of sadness and tranquility. Flaubert's full portrayal of a life using only a few pages baffles me. The details he chooses to include are so precise - his portrayal of each character, of religion, and a brief glimpse of "provincial life" through the eyes of a servant is so deliberate, yet so fluid and readable.

Felicite's

Spoiler

dead stuffed parrot

especially; the reader feels mixture of despair because of her desperate loneliness, but also relief that she is able to keep her best companion close to her even after death.

I've read this novella before, and it still hits me hard even in re-reading it. Reading Flaubert is always a full experience.