num_pages: 478
description: This exquisite novel tells the story of one of the most compelling heroines in modern literature--Emma Bovary." Madame Bovary  has a perfection that not only stamps it, but that makes it stand almost alone; it holds itself with such a supreme unapproachable assurance as both excites and defies judgement." - Henry JamesUnhappily married to a devoted, clumsy provincial doctor, Emma revolts against the ordinariness of her life by pursuing voluptuous dreams of ecstasy and love. But her sensuous and sentimental desires lead her only to suffering corruption and downfall. A brilliant psychological portrait, Madame Bovary searingly depicts the human mind in search of transcendence. Who is Madame Bovary? Flaubert's answer to this question was "Madame Bovary, c'est moi." Acclaimed as a masterpiece upon its publication in 1857, the work catapulted Flaubert to the ranks of the world's greatest novelists. This volume, with its fine translation by Lowell Bair, a perceptive introduction by Leo Bersani, and a complete supplement of essays and critical comments, is the indispensable Madame Bovary .
language: English
title: Madame Bovary
titlecomplete: Madame Bovary
characters: Emma Bovary, Rodolphe Boulanger, Léon Dupuis, Charles Bovary, Monsieur Homais, Berthe Bovary
genres: Classics, France, Novels, Classic Literature, Romance, Historical Fiction, Literature, French Literature, Fiction, 19th Century
ratings_count: 322013
places: France, Rouen, Tostes, Yonville-l'Abbaye
publisher: Bantam Classics