MADAME BOVARY - Costumes de província

First published in 1856, Madame Bovary remains a timeless story of disillusionment, infidelity, and the pursuit of happiness. Revolutionary in its time, it was the first novel to reflect Gustave Flaubert’s obsessive quest for literary perfection.
Praised by writers such as Henry James as “the perfect novel,” Madame Bovary is the landmark work of Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880). It is a rare kind of classic—a meticulous exercise in style that challenged both literary norms and social conventions. Upon its release, it caused a double impact: public success and government outrage, leading to a notorious trial in which Flaubert was accused of immorality.
Flaubert invented a new, modern form of storytelling, crafting a novel that—over the five years it took to complete—progressed literally word by word. Each sentence was painstakingly rewritten again and again to reflect the effort behind it. A master of realism, Flaubert captured the landscape and daily life of mid-19th-century France while satirizing the sentimental novels and popular melodramas of his day, which he saw as outdated.
The novel delivers a sharp critique of the bourgeoisie, exposing its emptiness through vivid descriptions of its banality. At a time when women were expected to be submissive, Emma Bovary turns to the foolish romantic tales in books to escape the dullness of married life. In doing so, she becomes the prototype for generations of tormented, unfaithful literary wives.