Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary, the first novel of Gustave Flaubert,

published in 1857 was considered to be his masterpiece
because of its profound meaning and originality. I came
across this book while reading a poll of contemporary
authors, published in a book entitled The top ten in which
Madame Bovary received the silver medal as being the
second greatest novel ever written.
The story focuses on a doctors wife Emma Bovary who
has adulterous affairs and lives beyond her means in order
to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life.
Although she has a decent existence along with her
husband, she is never fully satisfied with what she has,
wanting more and more day by day. Unfortunately her
discontent and desire of having all the forbidden things will
lead to her end.
The action takes place in provincial northern France,
near the town of Rouen in Normandy. The story begins and
ends with Charles Bovary, a lighthearted man without much
ambition or ability who struggles his way into finishing his
studies and becoming a doctor. Although his mother had
already chosen as his wife an old rich widow, Charles finds
true love in the village of Tostes, where he went to cure Mr.
Rouault broken leg and where he meets the farmers
daughter Emma, whom he falls in love with. After Charles
first wife had died, he began courting Emma and after he
obtained her fathers approval they get married. The action
starts focusing on Emma, who becomes dull, listless and
disillusioned with married life right after she and her husband
attended a ball given by the Marquis d'Andervilliers. Although
Charles tries everything that he can to make Emma happy,
she is still bored of her husband and of her life. Not even
giving birth to a child, Berthe, changes Emmas mood

swings, who proves to be a disappointment as a mother. In

Yonville she meets Leon Dupuis, a young law student who
seems to share her appreciation for the finer things in life
and who returns her admiration. Unfortunately Leon departs
to study in Paris without knowing Emmas feelings of love
that she had for him. Left alone she meets Rodolphe
Boulanger, who seduces and betrays Emmas trust, by
abandoning her after having an affair.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to
read a great realistic novel with shades of romanticism, and
who knows that the best things in life are the ones we dont
have.