Madame Bovary

Author: (French) Flaubert
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The novel Madame Bovary is Flaubert's masterpiece. With concise and delicate prose, Flaubert recreates the social life of mid-19th century France through the passionate experiences of the protagonist Emma. The artistic form of Madame Bovary marked a new turning point in modern fiction. After its publication, novelists realized that even fiction required meticulous craftsmanship. It is not only a model novel but also a model of prose. However, Madame Bovary also brought trouble to the author. Many people identified with the characters and criticized Flaubert's book as "undermining social morality and religion." He was even summoned to court: it turned out someone had accused him of "depravity." At that time, many readers expressed sympathy and support for Flaubert, even some romanticist writers who had long opposed him defended him. In court, after a fierce debate, the author was declared innocent—this demonstrates the influence of Madame Bovary. Every book discussing French literature must mention Flaubert's Madame Bovary, praising it with the highest praise as a book that can serve as a textbook and teacher for writers. A story of a woman who "strays but does not end well," Flaubert wrote it with the fervor of working twelve hours a day for four years and three months, refusing exaggeration and striving only to portray people as they truly are. It impartially narrates a woman's loveliness and irritability, her dreams and madness. The story flows effortlessly, natural to inevitable.
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