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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
I wish I hadn't read this in such close proximity to "The Awakening" as they share so much in theme and subject matter. Much of this novel felt ho-hum, especially as it was my second cuckolding book in a month--but just when I started to get bored, WHAM. I was less wowed by the plot (although there are some interesting twists), but more by the one line truisms. Madame Bovary is so reminiscent (for me) of Scarlett O'Hara--beautiful, entitled, selfish, and frankly my dear, a pretty unsympathetic bitch. I guess despicable characters provide an incredible vehicle for literary exploration of real life themes.
I picked up this book for the back to the classics challenge, translation of a classic category.
I had trouble connecting in any way to Emma Bovary. She just never seemed happy with what she had and was always looking on the other side of the fence, convinced that was the key to her happiness. In the end, I just felt sorry for her wasted life and the little girl.
Challenge Category - Translation
I had trouble connecting in any way to Emma Bovary. She just never seemed happy with what she had and was always looking on the other side of the fence, convinced that was the key to her happiness. In the end, I just felt sorry for her wasted life and the little girl.
Challenge Category - Translation
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
I think if I were reading this at a different time, I might enjoy this book. But for now, it's just annoying me.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In a world owned by men, a woman has no chance of survival. Emma Bovary, similar to Anna Karenina, is a woman who decided to take her destiny into her own hands. Her courage for freedom, albeit technically successful in its agency, allowed her a glimpse into independence, whilst bringing condemnation by the society she lived in. Gustave Flaubert in “Madame Bovary” created a character of potent power, defying the reality of his time.
There’s no doubt that this is an excellent example of literary realism. The author trades heroic drama for the monotony of everyday provincial life. We sense with rawness the exasperation one can experience when staring into the soul of a life-style void of art, intelligence and ultimately one lacking any expectation of betterment. Charles Bovary seems content to enjoy the insignificance of such a life, as long as he is besides his loving wife. Emma Bovary, akin to Don Quixote, is enriched by the knowledge of a greater world from the books she has read. Her inability to settle in non-activity is an act of progressive rebellion. Her choice of adultery is simultaneously a rejection of antiquated religious authority and a full ignorance of the societal norms set by tradition. There is no insinuation of sin in Flaubert’s writing, rather the open acceptance of female desire as commonplace is a celebration of realism. Emma loves in order to gain insight into a more meaningful life. Where she fails is in mistaking the ownership of riches as a representation of that meaningful life. This lack of engagement with economic astuteness contributes even further to the naturalism of the novel.
Despite being the invention of a male author, Emma Bovary is an archetypal voice for feminism. The novel is fully dictated by her agency. Even when she is at loss, the root-cause is her confidence, that ultimately makes men assert the power they possess. Critically, this assertion appears as an act of desperation to defend an unequal world, and not as a critique of female action. Flaubert’s perspicacity on the matter was radically forward-thinking, which explains why “Madame Bovary” continues to find new audiences in every generation.
There’s no doubt that this is an excellent example of literary realism. The author trades heroic drama for the monotony of everyday provincial life. We sense with rawness the exasperation one can experience when staring into the soul of a life-style void of art, intelligence and ultimately one lacking any expectation of betterment. Charles Bovary seems content to enjoy the insignificance of such a life, as long as he is besides his loving wife. Emma Bovary, akin to Don Quixote, is enriched by the knowledge of a greater world from the books she has read. Her inability to settle in non-activity is an act of progressive rebellion. Her choice of adultery is simultaneously a rejection of antiquated religious authority and a full ignorance of the societal norms set by tradition. There is no insinuation of sin in Flaubert’s writing, rather the open acceptance of female desire as commonplace is a celebration of realism. Emma loves in order to gain insight into a more meaningful life. Where she fails is in mistaking the ownership of riches as a representation of that meaningful life. This lack of engagement with economic astuteness contributes even further to the naturalism of the novel.
Despite being the invention of a male author, Emma Bovary is an archetypal voice for feminism. The novel is fully dictated by her agency. Even when she is at loss, the root-cause is her confidence, that ultimately makes men assert the power they possess. Critically, this assertion appears as an act of desperation to defend an unequal world, and not as a critique of female action. Flaubert’s perspicacity on the matter was radically forward-thinking, which explains why “Madame Bovary” continues to find new audiences in every generation.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes