Personal+Review

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//Madame Bovary //  was a refreshing departure from the stuffy romantic classics of the 1800s. When searching for an independent reading book that fit the criteria for this assignment (250+ pages, written before 1900), I struggled to find anything of a reasonable length that triggered my intellectual curiosity. Although I have nothing but respect and appreciation for the distinguished authors of // Jane Eyre //, // Wuthering Heights //, and //Pride and Prejudice //, the Gothic and Victorian theme of a docile yet witty maiden caught in a romance with a mysterious gentleman bores me. It feels like I've read it before - and in fact, I have. Seeing my distress in trying to uncover a good book, my European history teacher recommended // Madame Bovary //.  I read the paperback's synopsis and was instantly intrigued.

In Gustave Flaubert's //Madame Bovary//, I found just what I was looking for - something different, something exciting while still erudite. The novel's characters - Emma, Rodolphe, Leureux - are vividly constructed on paper to exude the romantic and tumultuous atmosphere of the time period. What surprised me the most about the novel was the bold sensuality of the female protagonist. When Gustave Flaubert's novel was translated onto the movie screen in 1991, the film trailer used words such as "secretive", "adulterous", and "provocative" to describe the heroine. The accuracy of these descriptions indicates the audacity by which the author wrote this acclaimed French novel. The plot was daring, the characters memorable, and the ending fantastic. Flaubert writes with an unpretentious style, while maintaining his elegant poise. He skillfully balances elements of both realism and romanticism in the narration, and selects just the right words to convey the appropriate tone.