Madame Bovary
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Reviewed by Jess
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Madame Bovary is one of the most controversial and scandalous stories from the nineteenth century β but it was definitely ahead of its time. This is somewhat the same story you might find in some cheesy romance novel today - a bored and listless housewife drags herself through boredom and social frustration by embarking on an affair with a younger man. However, Flaubert is MILES above and beyond some boring Fifty Shades/bored housewife story and really questions societyβs value of marriage and even the effects of gender imbalance, and is still relevant today. I found Emma to be equal parts frustrating and enthralling, and whilst I wanted her to be happy, I could see her on a path to self sabotage. A definite classic. (Also how gorgeous is this Penguin Classics Clothbound Classic! π)