Madame Bovary: Provincial Lives (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Turns out Count Tolstoy was pretty hung up on the rights of women issue that was beginning to surface across Europe at the time. Back then women thought it unusual yet tempting that they should actually fall in love and marry for happiness when arranged/financially convenient marriages were the norm. In such an atmosphere, a character like Emma Bovary was not so much despicable as she was confused and filled with idealism. This novel might work now, but with women now being free to choose the mate of their choice, Emma's situation is difficult to grasp. I was mad at Emma for treating Charles like a doormat and being so vain. But then again, her life was pretty boring.

Flaubert tells a straight story without moralizing. He leaves that to the reader. VERY thought provoking novel. Read it with Anna Karenina because Tolstoy pretty much wrote the same novel from the aristocratic point of view. I like the contrast between the Bovary and Homais families. And the comic part of the book was Charles' medical expertise.

While I was reading this I was hoping that Emma could catch a glimpse of what was going on in her husband's mind and just maybe, she would have felt a little more sympathy for him. I am not sure whether Flaubert wants us to pity her or despise her. I for one fall in the latter category and I felt so sorry for her husband.

This book still has a lot of relevance today and shows how two people that think they know each other, could be so wrong about what they think.

I greatly enjoyed Flaubert's beautiful, beautiful prose. Not one word is out of place. Amazing. What a treasure! That this book was written 150 years ago is hard to imagine. If you change horses for cars, you wouldn't know.

"Madame Bovary" is a timeless novel. The characters are few, and they are all very well developed. In fact, it is not possible to not genuinely care for each individual in the story. Well everyone, except for the loan shark.

The protagonist, Emma, married very young to Charles Bovary, a doctor who once treated her father when he was ill. She never really loved her husband, but was bored and wanted to get away from home. Emma is pretty much a sweet, spoiled and bored housewife. On the other side, Charles is a lovely husband who does not know what good to do for her - he completely adores her. To compensate for being bored - Emma undertake almost daily shopping sprees. Buying all sorts of luxurious fabric for clothes, fancy china, furniture - you name it. Although her husband is a doctor, and is making decent money, she is spending well over their means. Behind Charles' back Emma signs promise-note after promise-note (the credit card of the 17th century). After a while, the shopping is not enough to keep her happy, and she is seeking excitement outside her marriage. She is having several affairs. In the beginning all well covered up, but after a while Emma is taking more and more chances, and is getting reckless. Of course, this cannot go on forever, Emma's "card house" is doomed to fall apart. Which it does, with a truly tragic ending..

I read the book in 50 page gulps at the time, and I found it so hard to put away. I truly enjoyed every page! A great read and a true classic!