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A review by sophiareadstoomuch
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
3.0
This is a hill I’ll die on: Emma Bovary is the original sad-twenty-somethings.
And that’s undoubtedly my favorite genre, so why did I only rate it 3 stars (well, 3.5 actually)?
This is an issue that I often have with translated books: that the atmosphere isn’t really there. While Madame Bovary takes place in 19th century France, I felt like I was in a more modern(?) world. And that kinda ruined the vibe/atmosphere for me. I’m not sure if the translation is just not for me, but I’m definitely willing to try another translation in the future.
But aside from that, I enjoyed the novel.
Emma was a fascinating character to read about. She felt so realistic that I was shocked that she was written by a man instead of a woman. It’s so easy to hate her — let’s admit it, she caused the issues in her life — but I also can’t blame her. She was such a memorable character that I’m still thinking about her to this day. That’s probably because — although the story takes place in the 18th century — it still feels applicable to modern society.
Overall, pretty good. But I'd love to try a different translation next time.
And that’s undoubtedly my favorite genre, so why did I only rate it 3 stars (well, 3.5 actually)?
This is an issue that I often have with translated books: that the atmosphere isn’t really there. While Madame Bovary takes place in 19th century France, I felt like I was in a more modern(?) world. And that kinda ruined the vibe/atmosphere for me. I’m not sure if the translation is just not for me, but I’m definitely willing to try another translation in the future.
But aside from that, I enjoyed the novel.
Emma was a fascinating character to read about. She felt so realistic that I was shocked that she was written by a man instead of a woman. It’s so easy to hate her — let’s admit it, she caused the issues in her life — but I also can’t blame her. She was such a memorable character that I’m still thinking about her to this day. That’s probably because — although the story takes place in the 18th century — it still feels applicable to modern society.
Overall, pretty good. But I'd love to try a different translation next time.