Questions About Madame Bovary

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Answered Questions (16)

Does Emma deserve a better life/husband?

Nuno R. Your question seems to have the stress on "deserve", on merit or morals. The book is a critic on society, not on the type of woman Emma is. Emma and h…moreYour question seems to have the stress on "deserve", on merit or morals. The book is a critic on society, not on the type of woman Emma is. Emma and her husband are a product of that society. A better life would be possible, that is the underlying premise of the book, if society changed. The sufering and misery that Emma ends up with is inevitable. That seems to be the point of the book. A woman of that society has no say in her future. She has to accept an arranged marriage. And she can try to have some affairs, and have her reputation ruined. But she cannot have it all, love, pleasure, power, happiness, money, control. That is impossible. That belongs to men. It's beyond any notion of merit, or any conscious behaviour a woman might achive or aspire to. "The Lady of the Camellias", by Alexandre Dumas, fils is contemporary of this novel (it was published 9 years earlier) and shows the only other option a woman had, if she wanted romance and love: to become a courtier and entertain men. A woman could not, freely, choose who to love, if she fell in love. She would either have an affair (and be considered a whore) or she would have to officially chose to be a whore. And if you think this is dangerously similar to what we have today, it shows how little society has changed. (less)

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Is this a good translation?

Marc Cooper I much preferred Adam Thorpe's translation to Lydia Davis's.

Here's an article where he talks about his translation: https://www.theguardian.com/books/…moreI much preferred Adam Thorpe's translation to Lydia Davis's.

Here's an article where he talks about his translation: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

From my review: "Before reading, you first need to choose your translator. I began by reading the much-prasied Lydia Davis translation. 50 pages in, it felt like I was reading a US western instead of very, very French novel. After a little exploration, I settled on Adam Thorpe’s translation, and this proved an excellent choice. His occasional footnotes provided insight into cultural references and his reasoning behind certain translation choices. These added greatly to my enjoyment."(less)

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Is there anyone can't stand Emma like me ?

Sabtain Khan I think that's the point, you aren't supposed to feel sympathetic towards her character.…moreI think that's the point, you aren't supposed to feel sympathetic towards her character.(less)

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What does Madame Bovary teach us about life?

Ahmed El-Sharkawy A simple sentence: One doesn't get everything he wishes in life. If you like to have something, you've to work on it your own way and never accept a m…moreA simple sentence: One doesn't get everything he wishes in life. If you like to have something, you've to work on it your own way and never accept a miserable or inferior condition hoping to get the better soon.(less)

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کدوم ترجمه بهتره?

Vahid دو ترجمه از بین هشت ترجمه این کتاب بهتره محمد قاضی و مهدی سحابی.
ازبین این دو مهدی سحابی بهتره.…moreدو ترجمه از بین هشت ترجمه این کتاب بهتره محمد قاضی و مهدی سحابی.
ازبین این دو مهدی سحابی بهتره.(less)

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