Madame Bovary is one of the most important French novels of the 19th century.
Written in 1856, it is Flaubert's first published novel and is considered his masterpiece.
Madame Bovary is the story of Emma Bovary, an unhappily married woman who seeks escape through forbidden relationships with other men.
The book could be viewed as an expose of the situation of women in the 19th century; women who had not yet been emancipated and were expected to obey their husbands, to stay in their homes while the men went to work, or left for months on end to fight in wars.
Emma Bovary also serves as a voice for Flaubert, who patterned the character's personality after his own. Emma Bovary's "rebellious" attitude against the accepted ideas of the day, reflects Flaubert's views of the bourgeoisie.
Ultimately, Madame Bovary's indiscretions and her obsession with Romance lead to her downfall, which not only appeases the guardians of morality, but shows us Flaubert's view of the world wasn't one of naive optimism.
The novel was attacked for obscenity by public prosecutors when it was first serialized in La Revue de Paris between October 1 and December 15, 1856, resulting in a trial in January 1857 that made the story notorious. Flaubert was acquitted in 1857 and the book became a bestseller and remains one of the most influential books ever written.
To read A.S. Byatt's review of Madame Bovary, click on the link below:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/jul/27/classics.asbyatthttp://
To find out more about Gustave Flaubert's life, click on the link below:
http://www.madamebovary.com/default.htm
Here's the opening scene of the 2000 BBC version that I think is rather good...
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