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47th out of 133 books
—
50 voters
Madame Bovary's Daughter: A Novel
by
Linda Urbach
Picking up after the shattering end of Gustave Flaubert’s classic, Madame Bovary, this beguiling novel imagines an answer to the question Whatever happened to Emma Bovary’s orphaned daughter?
One year after her mother’s suicide and just one day after her father’s brokenhearted demise, twelve-year-old Berthe Bovary is sent to live on her grandmother’s impoverished farm. Amid...more
One year after her mother’s suicide and just one day after her father’s brokenhearted demise, twelve-year-old Berthe Bovary is sent to live on her grandmother’s impoverished farm. Amid...more
Paperback, 512 pages
Published
July 26th 2011
by Bantam
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3.5 stars
Was any daughter ever cursed with a mother such as hers? A self-centered, social-climbing, materialistic, coldhearted, calculating adulteress. Oh, yes, and she disliked children, too.
In 1852, twelve year-old Berthe Bovary becomes an orphan upon the death of her father. Her mother having committed suicide by ingesting poison a year earlier, and her father dying from a broken heart. Based on the 1857 French classic Madame Bovary by Gaustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary's Daughter tells the sto...more
I think this is a wonderful, and very well-written historical romance.
Was any daughter ever cursed with a mother such as hers?
I am sad to say, yes, there are other daughters who were cursed to have such a mother. I know, as I was one of those unfortunate girls to be born to such a mother. However, I don't think my own mother disliked children, she just had a particular hatred for me- the reason is something I am still looking for.
I also know about poison: My millionaire ex-husband was poisoned...more
Was any daughter ever cursed with a mother such as hers?
I am sad to say, yes, there are other daughters who were cursed to have such a mother. I know, as I was one of those unfortunate girls to be born to such a mother. However, I don't think my own mother disliked children, she just had a particular hatred for me- the reason is something I am still looking for.
I also know about poison: My millionaire ex-husband was poisoned...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel that I received as a First Reads selection.
It is very challenging for an author to reprise a character from another writer's books. Too often they are crassly commercial and disappointing from a literary perspective. This imagined history of Madame Bovary's orphaned daughter could be criticized as not much more than a tragic Cinderella story but it has so much heart that the rags-to-riches element was easily acceptable to me.
I found Berthe Bovary a very compellin...more
It is very challenging for an author to reprise a character from another writer's books. Too often they are crassly commercial and disappointing from a literary perspective. This imagined history of Madame Bovary's orphaned daughter could be criticized as not much more than a tragic Cinderella story but it has so much heart that the rags-to-riches element was easily acceptable to me.
I found Berthe Bovary a very compellin...more
2 likes · like · see review
Whatever description of this book's plot that you read, it's probably oversimplified. Madame Bovary's Daughter consists of four parts, each spanning about two years: Berthe's stay at her grandmother's farm, her time spent working at a cotton mill, her tenure as an upstairs housemaid in a wealthy Parisian home, and her fashion career as it begins at Worth's. Covering a wide array of settings and social positions, Urbach packs a ton of information into less than 500 pages. She occasionally takes s...more
From the moment I started reading this, I knew it was going to be wonderful. I did not need to have prior knowledge of the original Madame Bovary to grasp what the characters were about. Filled with humor, pathos, intrigue, and luxurious descriptions of the burgeoning fashion industry in Paris, this novel is a quick and easy read. I found myself rooting for Mme. Bovary throughout, as she tries to shake off her mother's reputation and make her own way in the world.
Urbach mixes historical and fic...more
Urbach mixes historical and fic...more
I wan't that big of a fan of Madame Bovary because Emma's selfish way of life annoyed me so much, but I think that's why I enjoyed this book about her daughter so much. Berthe didn't like the way her mother had lived and spent her life, so starting from right after her parents died, she decided to have a life the opposite of her mother's. I love historical romances, and this book had every aspect of historical books that I love. It had the old fashioned society with gowns and balls. There was pa...more
Since I love Madame Bovary, coming across this title seemed like a wonderful way to carry on the story. It purports to be a sequel, detailing what happens to Berthe Bovary after her mother's suicide. However, it has very little to do with anything in the Flaubert masterpiece.
Rodolphe, Madame Bovary's lover, reappears, entirely recast from his careless, playboy self, into a mean-spirited rapist. The elder Madame Bovary becomes a French peasant version of the wicked stepmother in Cinderella. And r...more
Rodolphe, Madame Bovary's lover, reappears, entirely recast from his careless, playboy self, into a mean-spirited rapist. The elder Madame Bovary becomes a French peasant version of the wicked stepmother in Cinderella. And r...more
When I take a book off my nightstand (I usually read before bed, when I finally have time) and bring it downstairs to the living room so I can spend a Sunday morning with its characters, I know that it has grabbed me. That's what happened with "Madame Bovary's Daughter" - I really rooted for Berthe, and cared about everyone she meets in her journey from victim to accomplished heroine. Along the way, I got a glimpse of life as Berthe knew it - and rediscovered my gratitude for the opportunities I...more
What a fabulous idea for a book! What happened to the ignored, orphaned daughter after her adulterous mother, Madame Bovary, committed suicide? Madame Bovary's Daughter: A Novel of Fashion and Fortune is the story of a daughter determined to distance herself from her infamous mother. Berthe remembers every rosette and bow on her mother's gowns, but no kind words or affection. She carries a photograph of her mother in a gorgeous white tulle gown from place to place, noticing how the seams are pl...more
I won a copy of this book in the First Reads Giveaways, and I am so glad that I did! I absolutely loved every page of it! It had everything...history, fashion, love, sex, scandal, AND those notorious characters from Madame Bovary. Considering Madame Bovary's feeling towards Berthe, I always wondered what would become of the poor child and this book was a great look into what could have happened. A lot of times these "sequel" books deviate from the original feeling and storyline into something th...more
I absolutely adore the original Madame Bovary and used to teach it to AP English Lit students. I enjoyed this sequel for the most part. It was fun to reencounter familiar characters and see how Urbach created her own plot threads, picking up where Flaubert left off. But I was disappointed by the ending. The author simply fails to provide a resolution. Instead, she just stops writing. Also, I couldn't help thinking that she must have taken a workshop on How To Write Sex Scenes. Flaubert knew how...more
Realistically depressing but worth it.
http://www.burtonbookreview.com/2011/...
http://www.burtonbookreview.com/2011/...
1 like · like · see review
I won a copy of this book in the First Reads Giveaways, and I am so glad that I did! I absolutely loved it! I haven't read anything by this author previously, but will definitely look to see what else she has written! I couldn't put it down - the book follows the journey of Berthe Bovary after the suicide of her (in)famous mother Madame Bovary and the subsequent death of her father. It had everything I love in books - drama, fiction, fashion, historical notes! I read it in one setting, always ex...more
I must say that Madame Bovary's Daughter isn't a book I would read if it had contained a content warning. I had the "uh oh" and "what have I gotten myself into" moments when I was more than a halfway through the novel. But reading this novel has piqued my interest about Emma Bovary although I have never read the famous and controversial 19th century novel Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. How can a mother be so trapped with crafting a world of fantasy that she was out of touch with the real wor...more
I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway, and it's a good thing too - it got me to cross a classic off my list because I figured I should read Madame Bovary first. ;)
I enjoyed the writing, thought the characters were well-written and believable (for the most part), and thought the story followed Madame Bovary pretty well.
(Actually, it helped me understand Madame Bovary more than just reading it - she cleared some stuff up for me.)
However, I thought the end was pretty bad. Horrible, even....more
I enjoyed the writing, thought the characters were well-written and believable (for the most part), and thought the story followed Madame Bovary pretty well.
(Actually, it helped me understand Madame Bovary more than just reading it - she cleared some stuff up for me.)
However, I thought the end was pretty bad. Horrible, even....more
I was pleasantly surprised by this book that I received through Goodread's Firstreads. I had not previously read Madame Bovary but had often heard it referenced and knew that it was pretty popular if not sad. I needed some light reading after having read several nonfiction books. This was just the antidote. It was romantic enough to capture my whimsy side while still an intelligent readers book. I liked the references to the artists of the past and the workings of the mills. It is very much a hi...more
Take a Horatio Alger novel--make the main character female, set her in France at the beginnings of the industrial revolution, add true love as one of the metrics for success, then include some sumptuous fabric and design descriptions, Madame Bovary references and a dash of sex = this novel. What fun to read. Of course I wanted orphaned Berthe Bovary to succeed as her life came crashing down, as she worked hard and stood up for herself, as she grew into a self-reliant woman. I'll read Urbach's ne...more
I really enjoyed most of this book. While I always think it's kind of cheap to write a sequel to a novel that is already popular, Urbach does a wonderful job of referencing the former work, while creating a new one that is entirely her own. The tale of Berthe's rise from impoverished orphan to a well-off working girl is quite entertaining.
However, my enthusiasm waned with the last section of the book. Up until then, Berthe's strides to improve herself and move up in life were plausible, though l...more
However, my enthusiasm waned with the last section of the book. Up until then, Berthe's strides to improve herself and move up in life were plausible, though l...more
Madame Bovary's Daughter is a wonderful creation. Berths is a Cinderella turned feminist Victorian in France. She is desperate to not follow in her mother's footsteps of doing anything to obtain passionate love but, soon finds herself in just these sorts of predicaments.
I found the rise of Berthe's character from orphan to savvy business woman a wonderful contrast to the actuality of the role of a woman in France during the 1500's. She is passionate about learning, dreaming and proving to not...more
The writing was good and the story mostly engaging. But it's not something I'd let your teenage daughter read. Even I was blushing at parts. Every hundred pages or so would be something as graphically detailed as you might find in a porno flick. My innocent eyes have been thus polluted. So I figure it would get 4 stars for its quality in story telling and one or two for its decency....which will average out to three.
(Caution: Possibly a few spoilers.)
I'm not sure of the likelihood of being taken...more
(Caution: Possibly a few spoilers.)
I'm not sure of the likelihood of being taken...more
It is not easy to take a minor character from a much loved classic and create great a story, but Linda Howard Urbach does it beautifully in this novel about Berthe, Madame Bovary’s neglected daughter. This story has everything I love in it; fashion, history, art, food, Paris, sex and friendship. It is a fun read which holds your interest as you follow the determined Berthe from the French countryside, to the streets of nineteenth century Paris, the hazardous cotton mills and the elegant fashion...more
I was rooting for Berthe, the eponymous heroine, from the first pages of this book. Highly believable, this well-rounded character, with her self-doubt vying with her self-confidence, took hold of my imagination and wouldn't let go. The fast paced plot had me turning the pages to find out how she made good.I was in 19th century France, enjoying the painlessly delivered background information, and didn't want to come back to 2011. Romance, ambition, tragedy, this book has them all, and the author...more
I didn't care for Berthe Bovary at all. All her thoughts centered on not turning out like her mother as if that was all she was about. Oh yeah....and fashion. The scene at the end with Monsieur Boulanger was annoying, as we're Berthe's sexual encounters considering three of them were either molestation or rape. This book was filled with unlikely scenarios and seemed to be directed at a much younger audience. I do agree with Urbach's note at the end: Flaubert would probably hate this horribly don...more
I really wanted to like this book because I liked the premise, but it ended up wanting. It felt like Urbach wanted to hit her readers over the head with every fact she'd found in her research. It was too bad, because parts of the book were very interesting.
Some of the side characters were interesting, but other's just seemed pasted in to show off the information about French history that had been gathered (Mr. and Mrs. Millet, for example).
Some of the side characters were interesting, but other's just seemed pasted in to show off the information about French history that had been gathered (Mr. and Mrs. Millet, for example).
Berthe was a frustrating character at times but it is true that she has a very tragic story, and I think that Urbach did a fine job of imagining how Berthe would behave and what traits she'd possess as a result of her tragic early childhood and the fact that she was raised by Madame Bovary. I've actually never read the original book but now I really would like to! I enjoyed reading about Berthe's journeys and her forays into fashion. I thought that was a fun part of this novel that made it a bit...more
I loved this book. I hadn't read Madame Bovary so perhaps I should have prior. But even if you didn't the story gives you enough background to understand the present heroine. It is intriguing and the author takes a little creative license as to history and the period but in a way that allows for the development of a captivating storyline.
I recommend or anyone who enjoys a historical novel but doesn't want to think too much.
I recommend or anyone who enjoys a historical novel but doesn't want to think too much.
Oooh! La! La! I loved this book! Turning every page was like biting into a flaky, buttery croissant.
The author has a great way with characters -- I loved the amazing peccadilloes -- frowzy, stingy, villainous, lusty. It almost made me think of Dickens! The book can be deeply serious about the unjust working conditions of the poor -- and then a few pages later -- outrageously hilarious. Lots of fashion lore, too.
The author has a great way with characters -- I loved the amazing peccadilloes -- frowzy, stingy, villainous, lusty. It almost made me think of Dickens! The book can be deeply serious about the unjust working conditions of the poor -- and then a few pages later -- outrageously hilarious. Lots of fashion lore, too.
You do not need to have read "Madame Bovary" back in college to truly enjoy this book. The story held me from start to finish. The book follows Berthe Bovary, abandoned as a child by a totally narcissistic mother, as she develops a full self and her place in the world. It is romantic, beautifully placed in history, and filled with splendid description. A speedy read, and completely absorbing.
This novel was unexpectedly fantastic.
I've never read Madame Bovary, so I didn't know anything about her story. After a quick Wiki-catchup, I quickly understood what was going on and jumped right in.
Berthe's story is almost too fantastic to be true. Her luck holds out no matter what, and while she hits a rough patch (or five), she always manages to land on-top of her situation and continues to climb the social ladders.
There was no utterly moving romance or excessively compelling relationship...more
I've never read Madame Bovary, so I didn't know anything about her story. After a quick Wiki-catchup, I quickly understood what was going on and jumped right in.
Berthe's story is almost too fantastic to be true. Her luck holds out no matter what, and while she hits a rough patch (or five), she always manages to land on-top of her situation and continues to climb the social ladders.
There was no utterly moving romance or excessively compelling relationship...more
I got this book as a free book from The Random House Publishing and as my thanks to them for sharing this book with me for free, I'm choosing to write a review. Madame Bovary frustrated me something horrible, watching a woman make mistake after mistake relying on someone else to help her along and always reaching for more than she was able to have without the means to achieve it. Madame Bovary's Daughter however was a novel that, at times, I struggled to put down. It seemed fate was against our...more
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“She must first love herself and the, and only then, could she give her heart to another.”
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updated Aug 29, 2011 11:39pm
Aug 30, 2011 12:07am