For the Classics Spin #40, we received #4 and this was my novel.
I have a love-hate relationship with French books. I love the French language. I absolutely love the books by Albert Camus, there are a few others I don't exactly dislike but, in general, they are not for me.
I had hoped that this one would be for me like my beloved English classics by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, the Brontës, etc. etc. But it was not to be.
What did I dislike about the novel? Not the story itself, it was quite interesting to follow the story of Emma, a young girl who marries a doctor but finds her life beside him completely boring so looks for excitement in other men. Or maybe it was the story. It was as boring as the life of the protagonist. So, maybe that's exactly what he was trying to show. Then he succeded. But not with me.
From the back cover:
"Madame Bovary is the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities and emptiness of provincial life. When the novel was first serialized in La Revue de Paris between 1 October 1856 and 15 December 1856, public prosecutors attacked the novel for obscenity. The resulting trial in January 1857 made the story notorious. After Flaubert's acquittal on 7 February 1857, Madame Bovary became a bestseller in April 1857 when it was published in two volumes. A seminal work of literary realism, the novel is now considered Flaubert's masterpiece, and one of the most influential literary works in history."
Here are all the books on my original Classics Club list.
And here is a list of all the books I read with the Classics Spin.
Sorry it didn't work. For sure we have there despicable characters. I reread it last summer with afew Francophile readers.
ReplyDeleteBut what a masterful writing style!! I love his descriptions of the landscapes and the characters of these utterly detestable people!
I so enjoyed my spin - German lit:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/04/02/book-review-confusion/
Maybe the characters made it unlikeable for me, Emma. I'm not the biggest fan of landscape description, but I don't know what it was. My next French book was a little better, though not great, either.
DeleteI read this one years ago and remember thinking her life was just sad. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was very sad, Lark. But also self-inflicted, that's probably why I didn't like it much.
DeleteI don't read much French lit. I'm just starting to get into Georges Simenon (who I know writes in French but is from Belgium) and have read a few by Albert Camus. I do have a copy of 'Madame Bovary' but its not on my "read soon" list.... I might get around to it one day.
ReplyDeleteI don't read that much French lit, either, Kitten, even though I love the language. As you already pointed out, Simenon is Belgian, and he writes crime stories, so maybe that's different. Which reminds me: Did you see the series with Rowan Atkinson? Fantastic!!!
DeleteAnd Camus is something different altogether, one of my favourite authors, certainly my all time "French" author.
I wish I'd kept a list of all my SPIN books over the years, like you did. Madam Bovary has been on and off my list several times. I think she is off right now but that may change next week. Thanks for this insightful review of the book.
ReplyDeleteI read The Brothers Karamazov. Loved it! Read my review here
I always say it's an occupational disease, Anne. LOL. I used to work in an office and put everything into lists. You might have seen that I have lots of lists on my blog.
DeleteI keep every book on my list to go into the spin until I read it, so it had to come at some point.
I absolutely loved The Brothers Karamazov and am looking forward to your review.
I read it a long time ago and don't remember much about except that Madame Bovary was bored.
ReplyDeleteThat about sums it up, Margaret. ;)
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