“Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.”
Part One
Charles Bovary, a mediocre and unambitious country doctor, marries Héloïse, a widow chosen by his mother. After Héloïse’s death, Charles meets Emma Rouault, the beautiful daughter of a patient. Enchanted by her, he proposes, and they marry. Emma, raised in a convent with romantic ideals, quickly grows disillusioned with provincial life and her dull husband.
Invited to a ball by the Marquis d’Andervilliers, Emma experiences the luxury and excitement she craves. The event deepens her dissatisfaction, and she becomes listless. Charles, hoping to improve her health, moves them to Yonville, where Emma meets the charming clerk Léon Dupuis, with whom she shares artistic and literary interests.
Part Two
In Yonville, Emma gives birth to a daughter, Berthe, but motherhood fails to fulfill her. She grows close to Léon, but their mutual attraction remains unconsumed. Meanwhile, the manipulative merchant Lheureux entices her into debt by selling her luxury goods. When Léon leaves for Paris, Emma falls into despair.
The wealthy landowner Rodolphe Boulanger seduces Emma, exploiting her romantic fantasies. They begin a passionate affair, and Emma, consumed by passion, neglects her duties. She plans to elope with Rodolphe but is abandoned when he coldly rejects her in a letter. Devastated, she falls seriously ill.
After recovering, Emma and Charles attend an opera in Rouen, where she reunites with Léon, now more worldly. They rekindle their connection, and Emma begins another affair, using lies and debts to fund secret meetings. Lheureux tightens his grip, pressuring her to repay loans she cannot afford.
Part Three
Emma’s debts spiral out of control as she borrows more to sustain her double life. When Lheureux demands payment, she desperately seeks money from Rodolphe, Léon, and others, but all refuse. Trapped and humiliated, she swallows arsenic and dies in agony.
Charles, heartbroken, discovers her love letters and debts but remains blindly devoted to her memory. He dies soon after, leaving Berthe an orphan sent to work in a cotton mill. The novel closes with the cynical pharmacist Homais receiving a prestigious award, symbolizing the triumph of mediocrity.
Key Ideas
- The dangers of romantic idealism and escapism.
- Critique of bourgeois society and its moral hypocrisy.
- The oppressive constraints on women in 19th-century France.
- The destructive power of consumerism and debt.
- The contrast between illusion and harsh reality.
Who should read this book?
- Readers interested in psychological realism and character-driven narratives.
- Those exploring feminist critiques of societal expectations.
- Fans of tragic, beautifully crafted prose.
- Students of 19th-century literature and Flaubert’s influence.
Notable Adaptations
| Year | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1933 | Madame Bovary | German-French film directed by Jean Renoir. |
| 1949 | Madame Bovary | Hollywood adaptation starring Jennifer Jones. |
| 1991 | Madame Bovary | French version starring Isabelle Huppert. |
| 2014 | Madame Bovary | Starring Mia Wasikowska, a visually lush retelling. |