Bouvard et Pécuchet

*Bouvard and Pécuchet* is a novel by Gustave Flaubert that humorously explores the folly of human curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. It follows two clerks who, after retiring, decide to learn everything they can—from science and history to arts and culture—hoping to achieve wisdom. However, their earnest efforts lead to a series of humorous failures and misunderstandings, highlighting the limits of bookish knowledge when disconnected from practical experience. The novel ultimately showcases how their relentless but naive quest for knowledge results in chaos, illustrating the absurdity of human hubris and the complexity of understanding the world.