Lettre autographe signée de Gustave Flaubert à sa cousine Caroline Laurent au sujet de L'Éducation sentimentale, édition originale

In May 1869, Gustave Flaubert was in Paris, writing to his cousin Caroline Laurent to apologize for not having time to visit - and for good reason, he was finishing his novel! Which novel? L'Éducation Sentimentale, begun in 1863, which he promises to finish "next week" - which he will!

It's a Flaubert in the last moments of creation, the relentless one, writing to his cousin, the one who allows himself nothing but work.

"My dear Caroline,

Since I know you've returned to Paris, you've been a daily source of remorse for me. For I want to go and see you every day. But I'm overloaded, or rather overworked. I swore I'd have my book finished by the end of next week, and I'm not moving! Well, that's that.

Your aunt is all alone in Croisset, where she's very bored, naturally. She tells me to beg you to come and pay her the visit [you] promised.

If you could set off now, you would be doing her a real favor, and me too, as a result.

I don't like her to be alone for long. - And as I can't go back to Croisset for another month, I'd like you to be near her for a while.

I'll drop by one of these mornings (before noon).

Love to you.

Your old gingerbread cousin.
Gve Flaubert

Monday, 3 a.m."