This study investigates the evolution and refinement of narrative techniques employed by Gustave Flaubert across three of his major novels. R. J. Sherrington examines the structural and stylistic shifts in Flaubert's prose, analyzing how the author moved from romantic influences toward the objective realism that defined his later career. The work provides a rigorous examination of Flaubert's technical mastery and his influence on the development of the modern novel.

Scholars frequently cite this text as a precise technical resource for understanding Flaubert's specific narrative mechanics. It is considered a valuable reference for students of 19th-century French literature and formalist literary analysis.