Madame BovaryMadame Bovary
Score Classic
What it's about
Emma, a farmer's daughter raised on romantic novels, marries Charles Bovary, a dull, kind country doctor, and is quickly bored by her life in a small Normandy town. She longs for passion and luxury, and finds them in two love affairs and in shopping on credit, until her debts and her dreams catch up with her.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and is often called the first modern novel. Flaubert was put on trial for obscenity over it.
You'll love it if you liked
Anna Karenina
The Red and the Black
Sentimental EducationGood to know
It's precise and unsentimental, and the ending is painful. Lydia Davis's translation is excellent.
By the numbers
- Readers4 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller31 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Gustave Flaubert
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Quick answers
Is Madame Bovary worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Bokklubben list of the 100 greatest books and is often called the first modern novel. It ranks #2,404 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 59.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Madame Bovary about?
Emma, a farmer's daughter raised on romantic novels, marries Charles Bovary, a dull, kind country doctor, and is quickly bored by her life in a small Normandy town. She longs for passion and luxury, and finds them in two love affairs and in shopping on credit, until her debts and her dreams catch up with her.
How long does it take to read Madame Bovary?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Madame Bovary?
If you liked it, try Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The Red and the Black by Stendhal or Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert.