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Madame Bovary: Classic Collection Audiobook
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(2.77) - 44 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Emma Bovary is a sensuous, sentimental young woman whose romantic ideals make her dissatisfied with her humdrum married life. Attempting to escape into an exciting world of passion and dreams, she drifts into sordid affairs with Rodolphe Boulanger and Léon Dupuis. The first of these lovers, an older man, dominates the affair, while the second, inexperienced and young, is dominated. The eventual collapse of Emma’s romantic dreams is inevitable, and her disillusionment leads ultimately to her doom.
A brilliant psychological portrait, Madame Bovary searingly depicts the human mind in search of transcendence. Acclaimed as a masterpiece upon its publication in 1857, it catapulted Flaubert to the ranks of the world’s greatest novelists and ushered in a new age of realism in literature.
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""Thou shalt not commit adultery!" - I'm sure even God himself shall forgive the French. In my opinion, the protagonist is my definition of an an extremist, looking for trouble. In the literary world, she is a brilliant character! In the real world.... oh dear. "
— Shams (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Madame Bovary has a perfection that not only stamps it, but that makes it stand almost alone; it holds itself with such a supreme unapproachable assurance as both excites and defies judgment.”
— Henry James -
“Madame Bovary is like the railroad stations erected in its epoch: graceful, even floral, but cast of iron.”
— John Updike -
“Flaubert established for good or ill, what most readers think of as modern realist narration, and his influence is almost too familiar to be visible.”
— James Woods, author of How Fiction Works -
“Simon Vance’s leisurely reading mirrors the pace of small-town life, and his clear, gentle voice, with its lovely timbre, seems especially suited to delivering the text’s many descriptive passages…Particularly amusing is his portrayal of Monsieur Homais, the voluble village chemist who fancies himself a learned man, and this brings some welcome comic relief to an otherwise tragic story.”
— AudioFile
Madame Bovary Listener Reviews
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" This was a favorite of mine as a teenage girl. Something about the theme of never being happy with what you have and yurning for worldly experiences. "
— Jennifer, 6/23/2011 -
" Beautifully written. Read it for the prose. But main characters Charles and Emma Bovary (who bear little resemblance, thank goodness, to my grandparents Charles and Emma Neal) are not fully convincing. Nevertheless, their fate is apt. "
— Jessie, 6/21/2011 -
" I just could not get in to this book. It just seemed so dry. Maybe I will attempt to read this at another time. "
— Jules, 6/21/2011 -
" A worthwhile classic on the importance of appreciating what you have when you have it. Quick read with interesting characters. "
— Megan, 6/21/2011 -
" I really enjoyed it but my frustration with Madame Bovary overshadowed everything. "
— Priscilla, 6/15/2011 -
" This is the classic and one can see why? An amazing story full of sexual inhibition and restraint. Loved it. "
— David, 6/4/2011 -
" This book created an interesting historical portrait, but I couldn't really relate to a woman who had no interest in her own child and was bored out of her mind. It was also a bit depressing, but still well written. "
— Pamela, 5/31/2011 -
" One of only two books I didn't finish in high school English classes. "
— Merri, 5/20/2011 -
" One of only two books I didn't finish in high school English classes. "
— Merri, 5/20/2011 -
" One of only two books I didn't finish in high school English classes. "
— Merri, 5/20/2011 -
" The book is written beautifully-- just the way he uses words to describe everything from feelings to nature is really lovely to read. The actual story part of it was just ok for me. "
— Melissa, 5/17/2011 -
" The book is written beautifully-- just the way he uses words to describe everything from feelings to nature is really lovely to read. The actual story part of it was just ok for me. "
— Melissa, 5/17/2011 -
" The book is written beautifully-- just the way he uses words to describe everything from feelings to nature is really lovely to read. The actual story part of it was just ok for me. "
— Melissa, 5/17/2011 -
" It was an awful book! But the county fair scene was hilarious. "
— John, 5/16/2011 -
" It was an awful book! But the county fair scene was hilarious. "
— John, 5/16/2011 -
" It was an awful book! But the county fair scene was hilarious. "
— John, 5/16/2011 -
" Beautiful translation...but is it bad that I was looking forward to the death scene for most of the book? Good grief is Emma a horrid person... "
— Karen, 5/4/2011 -
" Beautiful translation...but is it bad that I was looking forward to the death scene for most of the book? Good grief is Emma a horrid person... "
— Karen, 5/4/2011 -
" Beautiful translation...but is it bad that I was looking forward to the death scene for most of the book? Good grief is Emma a horrid person... "
— Karen, 5/4/2011 -
" Very good read, very enjoyable. "
— Vollha, 5/3/2011 -
" Very good read, very enjoyable. "
— Vollha, 5/3/2011
About Gustave Flaubert
Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880), French novelist and one of the masters of nineteenth-century fiction, was born in Rouen, the second son of a noted physician. Beset by ill health and personal misfortune, he led a solitary life of rigid discipline, which was reflected in his writing by his obsession with finding le mot juste (exactly the right word). His first published novel was Madame Bovary (1857). When certain passages in Madame Bovarywere judged to be offensive to public morals, Flaubert, his publisher, and his printer were tried but acquitted.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.