Reviews with content warning for Death - Madame Bovary

This will forever be one of my favorite books. You know when people ask who you would pick if you could have dinner/a conversation with a dead person? Flaubert. To talk about this book. I have read this in both French and English, and was struck each time by the sheer modernity of Flaubert’s commentary on debt, capitalism, and their impact on mental health. It is incredible how relevant the themes of this book remain.

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agnes_fr's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.75

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caribbeangirlreading's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

When it comes to reading foreign novels, translations matter. Adam Thorpe managed to capture Flaubert's language in a way that took my breath away.

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tiiiger35's review against another edition

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dark sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Emma - Madame Bovary, is a complex woman, trapped in a life & a marriage she hates. She’s a dreamer, an idealist, a romantic who yearns for overzealous passions. She’s also naive, selfish, greedy, hateful & dishonest.

Her husband, Charles, in comparison, adores her. She can commit no wrongs in his eyes, he’s eternally faithful, loving & loyal to her. He’s also completely blind to her wretchedness toward him & her unhappiness within their marriage.

In context, women in the 19th century had so little autonomy & even less opportunities. I emphathised with Emma on that level. It’s clear she was a tortured soul, who was doomed to a life of unfulfillment & misery. She seemed to suffer from chronic depressions & mood disorders that weren’t understood back then. Driven by a desire to find a love so intense, that even her daughter was pushed aside. Yet, right under her nose, unwanted, were the 2 people who loved her endlessly.

Cruelly, a part of me felt irritated Emma escaped the long term repercussions of her salacious & egocentric actions. Instead, Berthe was left alone in the world, destitute & unloved.

It’s one that will stick with me, but it’s a sad story with a tragic ending. It must have been a scandalous read for its time filled with debauchery, infidelities, lust & betrayal.

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roxyunderscored's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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alinas_library's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad slow-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

3.5

J’étais surprise de l’actualité de quelques caractères et actions. Rodolphe est un « fuckboy » typique et Emma est super « delusional » et rêve de l’amour profonde comme dans ses romans. C’était très amusant pour moi. Quand-même, quelques remarques seront problématiques dans le contexte moderne.
« Madame Bovary » est parfois persistant, mais c’est très clair, pourquoi on considère ce roman comme un classique. La langage est très poétique et magistrale, la critique de la société, qui était un scandale pendant cette époque, est claire et ironique.
Un livre bien compréhensible même pour les apprenants du français, comme moi (à l’aide des traducteurs ;)).

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