Madame Bovary in Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die

Apr 08, 2008 Rebecca rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics

I had a friend who reckoned this book presented the truth of female vacuity. Then proceeded to nickname me Madame Bovary.

*scowls*

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Jun 07, 2009 Sara Kearns rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, feminism-women-gender, classics

Read in 1994, and was planning on reading it again, but inspired by the film "Little Children," which I just saw for the second and third times recently, to re-read it now. I can't think of another film, btw, that includes such a good discussion of a book and attitudes surrounding a book, as this film does, nor a film character for whom discussed literature resonates so thoroughly as Sarah, the film's protagonist, who sees herself in the book's protagonist. I just re-read Anne Sexton's "Love Poe Read in 1994, and was planning on reading it again, but inspired by the film "Little Children," which I just saw for the second and third times recently, to re-read it now. I can't think of another film, btw, that includes such a good discussion of a book and attitudes surrounding a book, as this film does, nor a film character for whom discussed literature resonates so thoroughly as Sarah, the film's protagonist, who sees herself in the book's protagonist. I just re-read Anne Sexton's "Love Poems," too, for the gazillionth time, and interested to read "Bovary" in the context of the film and poetry.

Update/Review: 'Wrote the above in July-ish '09; read the book shortly thereafter. 'Appreciated it more now than the first time I read it in or around '94. It was also interesting to read it with the thoughts of Kate Winslet's character (Sarah) in mind, although I would love to know if I would have had a similar reading as Sarah's, had I not seen the film "Little Children," first. It's impossible to know, but I am fairly convinced I would have, especially given some events in my life at the time. I'm guessing the same circumstances that contributed to my strong sense of empathy for Sarah would undoubtedly have rowed me toward a similar view of Emma Bovary: However flawed she is, and however tragically flawed her attempts to escape the mundane emotional landscape of her life, which she spends in the 19th century French cultural equivalent of suburbia, Emma is heroic, if in no other way, in her refusal to pleasantly accept the restrictions placed on women in her society. Like Sarah in "Little Children" and the Anne Sexton in her "Love Poems," the itinerary Emma Bovary follows as her way out out is painfully misdirected, not at all liberating, and ultimately fruitless, but her heroism lies in the struggle itself. The ability to see her as heroic lies in the reader's ability and willingness to see the bravery inherent in the struggle, however dishonorable or illusory its manifestations. ...more

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Nov 01, 2010 SarahC rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: france, 19th-century

The emotions rendered by a novel not only make the novel challenging, but, I believe now, make it difficult to write a review of the novel. I do see why Madame Bovary is known as a heavy-hitter in literature. It is a unequivocal portrait of life and individual self-absorption that is very recognizable and quite timeless. There are many things to like about this book. The narrative framework is beautiful, so that this intense story of Emma Bovary builds at a good pace and the story unfolds rather The emotions rendered by a novel not only make the novel challenging, but, I believe now, make it difficult to write a review of the novel. I do see why Madame Bovary is known as a heavy-hitter in literature. It is a unequivocal portrait of life and individual self-absorption that is very recognizable and quite timeless. There are many things to like about this book. The narrative framework is beautiful, so that this intense story of Emma Bovary builds at a good pace and the story unfolds rather than being sprung upon you in a sensational manner. The reader first learns some things about the elder Bovary’s and about Emma’s background as well. Much is found within the back stories, but especially that of parents on both sides crossing the line to see that their children succeed and marry well.

Of course, the Flaubert’s setting of provincial France is depicted to invoke many thoughts on how the characters lived. The atmosphere, the way people made a living, the way they dealt with the boredom of rural surroundings, and the existence of narrow thought are well written. And within the smaller life there, Flaubert writes more of ambition among the characters who surround Emma Bovary. The town pharmacist acts outside the law to practice medicine. He coerces the less savvy Charles Bovary, a health officer of the state, into dangerous medical practices, so that these rural men may be on the cutting edge of something!

Emma Bovary herself proves the most astounding portrait in this novel that has no heroes, but is, instead, a gradual story of the pain and destruction of living within ourselves and our own obsessions. She is a woman railing within the confines of provincial society and the restrictions of women of the era. As a reader, I asked, “who or what is the true villain of the story”? And Emma can never answer that question herself either. She is a self-absorbed creature. She is a chilling creation actually, and she fails to triumph or even begin to fight to find one fine moment to be truly living and in community with life in some way. ...more

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