A review by lalawoman416
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

5.0

So this is the classics version of Revolutionary Road. Emma Bovary is the depressed, bored housewife of a country doctor. She longs for more out of life and is deeply disappointed with the direction of her life. She wants to dance, wear the latest fashions, and mingle amongst the best of society. At first, she resigns herself to her sacrifice, thinking it will buy her a place in heaven. Her husband, the kindly, portly Doctor Charles Bovary is blind to all that is happening. He believes Emma to be happy and contented. This, of course, serves only to alienate Emma all the more. Emma quickly learns that martyrdom does not come naturally for her and chooses instead to indulge herself. She meets Rudolph and engages in a four year affair with him. She becomes clingy and desperate. She wants to leave to Paris with Rudolph and aggressively pursues that end. Rudolph leads her along but Emma was never nothing more than a passing diversion for him and he leaves her high and dry. Emma throws herself into her depression with the same passion she approaches everything and fall into ill health. Along comes Leon, a man she was attracted to back in her martyrdom days. This time around, she chooses to engage and in doing so, denies herself nothing. She makes extravagant purchases and even becomes so bold as to not come home on certain nights. She lives so lavishly and recklessly her creditors come knocking. Poor Charles has to come to terms with his wife's indiscretions.

On the one hand, this novel was frustrating because Emma is such an unlikeable character. She is weak of character and selfish. She cares nothing of her husband and child and cares only of her pleasures. On the other hand, the novel is so beautifully written and entertaining. Every sentence is like poetry. Flaubert's book is a classic for a reason.