It has taken me some time to organize my thoughts about Madame Bovary to allow me to write this review. I must confess I had a rather emotional initial reaction to the tragic ending of this novel. However, after some time I feel I am able to put it better in perspective.
Essentially this is a story (based on a real person – I was astounded to learn this!) about a woman (Emma Bovary aka Madame Bovary) who becomes bored in a loveless marriage to a doctor in rural France and seeks at all costs to live a more glamorous, sophisticated existence. This dissatisfaction and ennui with her lot in life leads her to become embroiled in a series of scandalous and compromising situations, that ultimately ruin her life and that of her family.
I enjoyed most Flaubert’s flowery prose which he uses to great effect in describing the landscape and way of life in the French countryside. He paints a vivid portrait of the slow-paced, close-knit village life in which everyone knows everyone’s personal business. A world which is turned upside down by Madame Bovary, in her unrepentant lust for excitement and adventure.
My strong emotional reaction to this story stems from my inability to feel a deep level of sympathy for the protagonist as her life fell apart. It felt to me as though she was the architect of her demise, due to her selfishness and lack of integrity. In fact, it was her husband if anyone who elicited the most sympathy on my part. Perhaps this lies with the fact that as a man, I felt the betrayal of Emma Bovary more acutely and struggled to empathize with her need for glamour and excitement. Hence the four star rating.
Overall, I would highly recommend Madame Bovary to anyone looking to explore French literature.
Thank you as always for stopping by! Please feel free to share your thoughts or reactions in a comment below. Also, if you would like to receive more updates about my writing please consider joining my newsletter mailing list by subscribing below.