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Madame Bovary

Gustave Flaubert

Start date: February 1, 2022

Finish date: February 28, 2022

Discussion: Lesser Know/Wilderness Classics

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What Members Thought

Nov 17, 2017 Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics, 1001-books

Rating this one is hard -- I was leaning toward 5 stars for several days, but when I think of some of my other 5 star reads this one comes in slightly lower. So there you go: 4+ stars.

This book really made me think about some things that I didn't expect to think about. Flaubert's Emma is unique. She is not often likable. She is flighty, selfish, proud and even arrogant. But in my interpretation of the story she seems to have issues with Depression and maybe Postpartum Depression. And, I feel lik ...more

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Feb 16, 2014 Chrissie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: france, audible-us, 2014-read, hf, classics, feminism, love, victorian

On completion I liked this book. The author really can describe things - places and clothing and faces and puddles and...... You name it, he can describe it and accurately. Flaubert expresses exactly all the details an observer usually just glides over. Did Flaubert ever put his hand to painting? A painter looks carefully too. Flaubert draws pictures with words. I gave this book three stars because of the author’s writing. And because I had to know how it would end. (But sometimes all the detail On completion I liked this book. The author really can describe things - places and clothing and faces and puddles and...... You name it, he can describe it and accurately. Flaubert expresses exactly all the details an observer usually just glides over. Did Flaubert ever put his hand to painting? A painter looks carefully too. Flaubert draws pictures with words. I gave this book three stars because of the author’s writing. And because I had to know how it would end. (But sometimes all the details were just too much!)

The people in this novel, the message of the novel is just so negative. There isn't a nice character here. Not one. They are all very human, but the collective impact of all these ordinary, egotistical, self-centered human beings is certainly not uplifting. Yeah, we human beings are this way, but occasionally we do manage to do something nice or kind. Huh, don't you think?

At least Flaubert wasn't religious. He doesn't fall back on God helping us out of all problems if we just pray fervently enough. I know, I know, not all religious people expect God to solve their problems. This isn't a discussion of religious beliefs, but it is clear where Flaubert stands, and that is why I mention this.

Have you noticed? When I read a three star book my reviews suck. I neither have the anger that gets me screaming or enough love to praise the book. Is indifference worse than hatred? Maybe! I just cannot think of anything to say.

Flaubert was born and lived in Rouen. I love Rouen, but there is little here in the book that made me recall and remember Rouen. This book could be set in so many countries, as long as the spot is provincial. So the setting didn't gain a star either.

Finally, the audio narration by Simon Vance wasn't as good as usual. The chemist's voice, was well done. Pay attention to him; for me he was the character most carefully portrayed by Flaubert. Maybe that is why Simon Vance put his best efforts on this character? What I didn't like was that there are many smaller personalities and Vance used the same intonation for all of these different characters.

There is good character portrayal in this book, but the people are so darn disagreeable, but disagreeable in an ordinary, mundane way. When this book was first published in 1857, it must of course have been seen as quite scandalous. It is about a woman with passion, a woman who was determined to go after what she wanted. Her behavior IS promiscuous. There is no getting around that! You will have to read the book to discover where this behavior leads her. It is interesting to note that Flaubert never married and was himself promiscuous, but he was a man.
...more

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Feb 01, 2008 Carrie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favorites, re-read, 4-and-a-half-to-5-stars, gg, spring-tbr

I must say it was excellent. Quite the page turner. I enjoyed Emma's character even when I know I probably shouldn't. But I could relate to her at times. Charles was a fool, who I didn't pity or feel sorry for. At first yes I did, and first I liked his character but, I guess you'll just have to read it for yourselves to understand why I feel the way I do towards him.

If you haven't read this novel you must. ...more

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Mar 03, 2008 Laura rated it it was amazing

Shelves: french-literature, fiction-19th-century, 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, gutenberg, book-and-movie

Madame Bovary is a novel by Gustave Flaubert. It was published in 1856. It is the story of an unhappy middle class French housewife. She longs for the kind of romance and glamor that life in the country does not provide. After a few unfulfilling adulteries, she kills herself.

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Jul 08, 2015 Jane rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, french, french-classics, life-changers, flaubert

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 18, 2017 Douglas Beagley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A magnificently written portrait of a woman suffering from clinical depression. At times comic (laugh out loud funny), but generally a tragedy, the story accurately depicts how a depressed person can swing wildly from exhalation to despair.

So... it's a downer, sure. Can't avoid that.

The images, the language, and the pacing are all tremendously well done. There are no heroes or villains, but instead we get a true literary novel, capturing the reader.

Tons of powerful, quotable passages.

...more

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