Les minores de Flaubert dans le miroir de la Correspondance

Abstract

The present paper aims at making an inventory of Flaubert's Correspondence, his famous laboratory, with a view to highlighting the hermit of Croisset's influence upon the writing and the style of several of his beginning fellow-writers (Louis Bouilhet, Ernest Feydeau, Louise Colet, Hamilton Aïdé, etc). One can notice the elaborateness, the critical, almost scientific approach manifest in Flaubert's comments and suggestions, always infused with sound arguments in order to support his ideas. The reader is repeatedly impressed by Flaubert's enthusiasm or disappointment, as well as by his frankness, which one cannot find but in his letters.