Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880)

This book by Gustave Flaubert is an absolute classic. On the face, it is a simple story about an ordinary, if stupid, couple. Gustave Flaubert used symbolism from the name Bovary (Bovary = bovine) to the blind peasant to depict Emma's moral and intellectual blindness. The blindness extended to Charles Bovary, who could not see the signs of his wife's frustration and adultery.
His description of her turmoil is magnificent, as he depicts the characters - Charles Rodolphe and Leon. Gustave Flaubert's description of the development of her fatal relationships is mesmerizing. He depicts her growing frustration, her fantasies that lead her to a debtor's prison, and the tragic end of Charles and their daughter with ruthless poetry.
This book will never become old: it is also a reminder of the magnificent art of storytelling. Even simple stories can be magnificent.… (more)

Having read [A Simple Heart] for the Great Courses series, I was going to toss the book itself, very old, very foxed, the spine just barely holding. But there were two more stories in the volume, shorter than the first, so I tried them out.

The second, "The Legend of St. Julian Hospitator" reads like a legend, about a man born with conflicting prophesies and an overwhelming penchant for hunting and killing as many animals as he can. When he is told yet another prophesy, that he will kill his parents, he flees the country and wanders, marries a princess, continues his slaughter, until eventually, by accident, he does kill his parents. This horror turns him humble, a mendicant who eventually becomes a boatman on a rough crossing. accepting all. He is eventually saved by Jesus.

The third, "Herodias", is the story of Herod and Jokanaan. The women as assigned all the blame, it seems to me.

It is curious that Flaubert wrote "A Simple Heart" about a very ordinary woman, and two stories about anything but ordinary people. The writing is beautiful, in a translation by Robert Baldick.… (more)

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (Canterbury Classics) for promotional purposes.

What a tragic yet captivating tale!

I added this book to my “To Read” shelf on Goodreads way back in March of 2015. Now 9 years later I finally read it and I’m so glad I did.

There is nothing happy about this story, but it’s beautiful and intriguing in its own way. Immediately upon starting, I was pulled right into the story.

Madame Bovary is such a fascinating character. She’s not particularly likable, and that’s precisely why I liked her. She’s a complicated woman who makes numerous questionable decisions, but I find that makes for the most interesting of characters. I found myself constantly thinking about her and what I would do if I were in her shoes.

For a classic, the writing style is easy to read and follow but still elegant. I didn’t have trouble understanding what was going on. The chapters are fairly short which also helps.

I originally was going to give this book 4 stars, but after a few days of reflection, I decided I had to give it 5 stars. This is a story that will stick with me for a while.

Overall, I loved this story and I can’t believe it took me this long to read it. It was well worth the wait!… (more)