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Book Review
Apr. 7th, 2005 05:22 pmMadame Bovary
by Gustave Flaubert
I never read this in school, and since it is considered one of the greatest novels ever written, I decided to give it a try. It is, indeed, quite good. Even in translation, Flaubert's talent for vivid yet concise description is evident. His sense of pacing is also superb - this novel never drags or rushes. It's a very good read.
However, I have to admit to not being as amazed by this book as I expected to be. Maybe it's that Madame Bovary has served as a model to so many writers. Many good books cover a lot of the same territory, namely the profound effect love affairs, ardent emotions, and futile desires can have on a person's life. And the skewering of bourgeois society is present in many other books of the 19th century. For me, Madame Bovary was thus a shining example, perhaps even the pinnacle, of a familiar type of book rather than something unique or extraordinary.
by Gustave Flaubert
I never read this in school, and since it is considered one of the greatest novels ever written, I decided to give it a try. It is, indeed, quite good. Even in translation, Flaubert's talent for vivid yet concise description is evident. His sense of pacing is also superb - this novel never drags or rushes. It's a very good read.
However, I have to admit to not being as amazed by this book as I expected to be. Maybe it's that Madame Bovary has served as a model to so many writers. Many good books cover a lot of the same territory, namely the profound effect love affairs, ardent emotions, and futile desires can have on a person's life. And the skewering of bourgeois society is present in many other books of the 19th century. For me, Madame Bovary was thus a shining example, perhaps even the pinnacle, of a familiar type of book rather than something unique or extraordinary.
