A review by joneseuro
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

adventurous emotional medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The introduction to this book is interesting, explaining how it's publication was basically an early victim of The Streisand Effect and also the background of Delphine Delamare.

The actual story is OKAY. The main character is really
unlikeable, which I understand isn't accidental
. The moral lessons get a bit fable-y (as in "This is what happens when you do this bad thing!") and the Church vs Science parts are a bit on the nose.

I do appreciate its influence, though, and kept being reminded of Stoner by John Williams - one of my favourite ever books - published much later and that no doubt took a big scoop of influence from Madame Bovary.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings