Dictionary of Received Ideas

About “Dictionary of Received Ideas”

"Dictionary of Received Ideas" is an English translation of a posthumous work by Gustave Flaubert. It collects overheard comments that reflect clichés, platitudes, borrowed ideas, absurdities, and social lies. The book offers a critical look at the thoughts and beliefs of the middle class, presenting them as unexamined and often false. Published as a collection of observations, it serves as a sharp critique of common assumptions and societal norms. The work is described as a self-portrait of the middle-class philistine, a type still relevant today.