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A review by mediaevalmuse
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
5.0
I read this book for a graduate seminar on modern British fiction, and at first, I was surprised that a French novel was first on the list for the semester. However, Madame Bovary was easily my favorite assignment of the entire course, and I came to appreciate Flaubert's stylish prose and his portrait of the idealistic yet naive Emma Bovary.
Things I Liked
1. Emma Bovary: Madame Bovary's attitudes and actions are easy to make fun of and criticize - but that's precisely the point. Flaubert gives us a protagonist who is always in pursuit of something that she thinks will improve the monotony of her life: lovers, balls, fashion, belongings. Readers don't really feel sorry for Emma in that her life isn't presented as horrible, but Flaubert does evoke some pity regarding her outlook on what she thinks the world and happiness should be. It's a devastating view and one that really resonates with modern-day consumerism a la Fight Club: if only I had X, then I'd be happy.
2. Prose: Flaubert is famous for his realism and his obsessive search for "le mot juste" (the right word), and this novel definitely showcases his talent for communicating exactly what he intended. It's a style that influenced later writers such as James Joyce (hence the reason why we read it for my grad seminar), and it's easy to see why it was so highly regarded. There are little to no digressions and everything is straight to the point without being bland or stark. In short, it engages the reader without bogging them down with too much pretentious eloquence.
3. Critique on the Bourgeoisie: Madame Bovary doesn't just critique women and Emma Bovary herself, but basically everyone. Emma's husband is ridiculously unaware of his wife's discomforts and excursions, and multiple characters are presented as sly and self-serving members of the middle class.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Meticulousness: As wonderful as Flaubert's prose is, it has the tendency to border on the tedious. For me, that's the main drawback to novels that set out to accomplish "realism" or "naturalism" and excise all attempts at lyrical, metaphorical style.
Recommendations: You may like this book if you're interested in adulterous women or stories about the bourgeoisie. You might also enjoy this novel if you liked Anna Karenina, The Red and the Black, or Vanity Fair.
Things I Liked
1. Emma Bovary: Madame Bovary's attitudes and actions are easy to make fun of and criticize - but that's precisely the point. Flaubert gives us a protagonist who is always in pursuit of something that she thinks will improve the monotony of her life: lovers, balls, fashion, belongings. Readers don't really feel sorry for Emma in that her life isn't presented as horrible, but Flaubert does evoke some pity regarding her outlook on what she thinks the world and happiness should be. It's a devastating view and one that really resonates with modern-day consumerism a la Fight Club: if only I had X, then I'd be happy.
2. Prose: Flaubert is famous for his realism and his obsessive search for "le mot juste" (the right word), and this novel definitely showcases his talent for communicating exactly what he intended. It's a style that influenced later writers such as James Joyce (hence the reason why we read it for my grad seminar), and it's easy to see why it was so highly regarded. There are little to no digressions and everything is straight to the point without being bland or stark. In short, it engages the reader without bogging them down with too much pretentious eloquence.
3. Critique on the Bourgeoisie: Madame Bovary doesn't just critique women and Emma Bovary herself, but basically everyone. Emma's husband is ridiculously unaware of his wife's discomforts and excursions, and multiple characters are presented as sly and self-serving members of the middle class.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Meticulousness: As wonderful as Flaubert's prose is, it has the tendency to border on the tedious. For me, that's the main drawback to novels that set out to accomplish "realism" or "naturalism" and excise all attempts at lyrical, metaphorical style.
Recommendations: You may like this book if you're interested in adulterous women or stories about the bourgeoisie. You might also enjoy this novel if you liked Anna Karenina, The Red and the Black, or Vanity Fair.