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Madame Bovary book cover
Classics · Melancholic

A doctor’s wife looks for romance and finds debt

Madame Bovary

by Gustave Flaubert

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1857Moderate readSteady pace

What it is about

Emma Bovary, bored by her marriage to a provincial doctor, takes lovers and spends beyond her means. Flaubert’s 1857 novel is a landmark of realism that led to a trial for obscenity.

Who will enjoy it

Readers who enjoy classic novels that have stayed in print, with a melancholic mood and a steady pace. It is a read that rewards some attention.

Themes: Marriage · Romance · Provincial life

Screen adaptation

Madame Bovary (1949) · Madame Bovary (1991)

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Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition

About the author

Gustave Flaubert1 book on Tori Books

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