Madame Bovary

Good read with thoughtful themes for the modern woman

Madame Bovary is one of those books we've all heard about but never get around to reading. I recommend reading this book before watching any film production of this Flaubert accomplishment. The story starts out by introducing Charles Bovary, who eventually marries Emma, the principal character of the book. Charles is by even 19th century standards , a nondescript regular guy. He is the village doctor, but not a particularly good one. Charles has one saving grace: he loves and adores his wife, the beautiful but irresponsible Emma. She plays the outward part of a good wife but inwardly seethes with contempt at the ineptitude and bumbling simplicity of her husband. Emma reads too many romance novels which causes her to regret that her husband does not measure up to any of her book heroes. From her novels she is convinced that a "man surely , ought to know everything, ought to excel in a host of activities , ought to initiate you into the energies of passion, the refinements of life, all its mysteries. But this man knew nothing, taught nothing, desired nothing." (pp39, Chap.7). Emma has a string of affairs to assuage her personal unhappiness. She goes into debt in order to buy her lovers more and more expensive presents. In the meantime , she neglects her daughter and her husband. Marital life bores her to tears and the responsiblities of married life disgust her. The story ends in a way we do not want. Questions remain for the modern reader. It is as relevant today for women to ask themselves: 1) If our marriages are unhappy , do we just bail ? Have lovers? Pretend there is no problem? 2) Has society ceased to offer women support and encouragement for their very important roles as wives and mothers? Jackie Kennedy once said ," I'll be a wife and mother first, then First Lady." She also said," If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much." This book has a great introduction and analysis of the novel ,but I suggest reading ...