First LoT book club discussion: Madame Bovary

[Not Afraid]

I think most of us had other books to finish first before starting this one.

I'm entering part III at the moment.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

I think most of us had other books to finish first before starting this one.

Yeah, that's probably the main factor. I was between books and had a copy immediately on hand.

[mistyisjafo]

I'm still dragging myself thru section 2, Randolphe has just arrived.

First impressions: Based on my limited knowledge of the time I'd bet that Madame Bovary was a real scorcher in it's day. I'm assuming it's a book writen during the Romantic Era and it's a book condemning the era. Kind of a morality play to show those too deep into Romantism that even thou it's great to long for those things that they lose site of the important things around them.

I find it some what ponderous with the flowery writing but it's still interesting to get a look into the past. I hope I can power thru it and be done by the end of this week!!

[wendybeth]

Misty is spot on with her observations. I know the style of prose can be a bit annoying, but really it's a lot less florid than most of that time period. He was actually accused of being very crude because he tried to capture the way real provincials spoke, rather than portray them in the usual idealised way. (Much like Dickens did). This book is a lot more complex than I think it's being credited for here- this is a psychological examination of a small group of people representing a large part of society in the mid 1800's. I have no doubt that there were a lot of women who read this book and identified with the stifled life of Emma, although they may not have agreed with her solutions.

[€uroMeinke]

Well I just finished - afew of my first impressions

I have to say it took me a bit to get into this work - more about putting myself in context of place and period written.

I found Madame Bovery (Emma) to be entirely sympathetic - up to the middle of part three. I was rooting for her to take a lover early on. But once she took up with Leon and then grew dissatisfied with that realtionship - or was it more lifestyle? The focus on her extravagance and perhaps more so her arrogance made her character turn for me.

I suppose Falubert in this anti-romance wanted to make sure the materialism of personal accounts and indiscriminant spending was important to showcase - personally, though I found the lisings of sums owed and refinanced to probably be just as confusing as Emma found them to be - it mystifies my why anyone trusted Lheuruex, though I guess no one had a choice. But here I wonder about the Mysoginism of Flaubert, as Emma's plight over love and money seems to imply that the desire for one leads to a sort of natural prostitution.

Early on though, I had to think about how years of her life were going by and she attended but three "cultural" events before falling in with Leon. For that I forgive her boredom - not sure how I'd do rural 19th centrury France, no doubt I would have run off to Paris to drown myself in absinth in the company of my debauched brethren. Emma clearly tries everything available to her to live a satisfying life, from being the good housewife, the pious Christian, The mother, etc. - Of course the Senior Mrs. B cricizes her "reading" as the source of her dissatisfaction, but I have to think Flaubert is poking fun at such notions - His thoughts are certainly in line with Voltaires despite his characters admonisions to shun him.

The banter between Homais and the Cure (can't remember his name) I found to be an interesting comentary as each arguing science versus religion, neither really consolled or helped anyone.

Charles was a dissappointment, of course - destined to cuckuldry and his end still seemed rather melodramatic - at least by contemporary standards, all this illness due to "heartbrake" seemed a borrowed romantic device by Flaubert.

I did love the scene in the theater, where Emma and Charles interests switch once Leon enters the theater.

Anyway - those are my frist thoughts

to respond to some things above:

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Oh, and I also found it completely unbelievable that this tiny town would not have figured out Emma's adultery and completely ostracized both her and Charles.

I think it was clear that many knew, the servents were helping her cover up, Lheuruex definately knew, Leon's friends joke about his inappropriate gifts. I think many, Like Charels chose to ignore what was before them.

Originally Posted by mistyisjafo

I'm assuming it's a book writen during the Romantic Era and it's a book condemning the era. Kind of a morality play to show those too deep into Romantism that even thou it's great to long for those things that they lose site of the important things around them.

I've heard that said about the book, but I wonder about that - to me it seemed almost entirely amoral. Sure Emma casues all these problems in her life, but I don't see anyone else offering an alternative. Homais is the character that turns out to have the best luck in his life, and yet all his success seem entirely delussional - heck, he never figured out that it was his arsnic that killed Emma. But perhaps this is a zen moral tale, we are here but to suffer, happiness is an illusion, and knowledge is our downfall.

[Not Afraid]

It's so VERY difficult NOT to read these posts, but I have 70 pages to go before I can do it. It's actually getting quite good for me. I haven't been wanting to put it down.

[Prudence]

Ooops - forgot to check in. I finished, too. It's been awhile since I read something in this genre. (If anyone really liked it and wants some other suggestions, I have several others I can recommend.)

First - as a romance of that time, it was destined to end in death - that's to be expected.

One of the things I'm currently pondering is the treatment of love. Emma spent her life captured by this romantic notion of love and hoping to find it - in the church, in marriage, in a small town lover, in a big city lover - all trying to capture some romantic idiom. A

nd yet, in the end it wasn't the trite "true love was always at home". Charles was a nothing. He did what people told him he should and expected that to be enough.

So the unchecked pursuit of romance (in the broad sense) and the total lack of interest - neither leads to a good end.

[mistyisjafo]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

Misty is spot on with her observations.

Wow! Thanks!!

Euro really hit all the good points and certainly put it down on paper better than I did. Especially

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

Charles was a dissappointment, of course - destined to cuckuldry and his end still seemed rather melodramatic - at least by contemporary standards, all this illness due to "heartbrake" seemed a borrowed romantic device by Flaubert.

That is so on target about Charles.

[€uroMeinke]

As suplement to Mdame Bovary, I'm now reading Flaubert's correspondence, from a book Wendybeth graciously left behind. I've just started but already I think I'll get a better understanding of 19th Century French provincial life.

[Stan4dSteph]

I'm not reading the book, but I am going to France in a couple of weeks. Does that count?