First published 1984
Geoffrey Braithwaite, an English doctor obsessed with the French novelist Gustave Flaubert, embarks on an eccentric literary detective mission. His quest: to locate the authentic stuffed parrot that once inspired Flaubert's work, sorting through competing museum claims and historical fragments. As Braithwaite investigates, he unravels not just the parrot's provenance, but layers of Flaubert's complex personal life—his relationships, artistic process, and inner world. Between archival research and personal reflection, Braithwaite gradually reveals his own hidden motivations, transforming a scholarly pursuit into an intimate exploration of memory, artistic legacy, and personal obsession.
Genres: literary-fiction, 20th-century, biographical-fiction, books-about-books, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: literary-detective, obsession, unreliable-narrator
Setting: France
190 pages · Hardcover · Random House UK