Madame Bovary
Bilingual edition. Read the original French with a synchronized English translation alongside every paragraph, plus inline notes on tricky vocabulary, expressions, and idioms.
Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary is a masterpiece of realism, offering a penetrating psychological portrait of a woman trapped by her romantic illusions and the suffocating constraints of provincial bourgeois society. Set in mid-19th century France, the novel introduces Emma Bovary, a farmer's daughter educated in a convent, whose imagination is fueled by sentimental novels and dreams of a life filled with passion, luxury, and social grandeur.
Married to Charles Bovary, a kind but unremarkable country doctor, Emma quickly finds her reality starkly at odds with her fantasies. Disillusioned by the monotony of her marriage and the banality of her surroundings, she embarks on a desperate quest for fulfillment through adulterous affairs and extravagant spending. Each attempt to escape her drab existence only plunges her deeper into debt and despair, revealing the tragic gap between her idealized world and the harsh realities of her choices.
Flaubert's meticulous prose and detached narrative voice meticulously detail Emma's inner turmoil and the social fabric of her time. The novel is a profound critique of romanticism, materialism, and the hypocrisy of the French bourgeoisie, while also exploring universal themes of desire, disillusionment, and the search for meaning.
Madame Bovary was groundbreaking for its unflinching realism and psychological depth, sparking controversy upon its publication for its perceived immorality. Despite the scandal, it cemented Flaubert's reputation as a literary innovator and remains a cornerstone of world literature, influencing generations of writers with its precise language and incisive social commentary. It is a compelling read for anyone interested in the complexities of human nature and the societal pressures that shape individual destinies.
Gustave Flaubert
MADAME BOVARY
(1857) Table des matières
PREMIÈRE PARTIE I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX DEUXIÈME PARTIE I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV TROISIÈME PARTIE I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI
À Marie-Antoine-Jules Senard
MEMBRE DU BARREAU DE PARIS EX-PRESIDENT DE L’ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE ET ANCIEN MINISTRE DE L’INTÉRIEUR
Cher et illustre ami, Permettez-moi d’inscrire votre nom en tête de ce livre et au-dessus même de sa dédicace; car c’est à vous, surtout, que j’en dois la publication. En passant par votre magnifique plaidoirie, mon œuvre a acquis pour moi-même comme une autorité imprévue. Acceptez donc ici l’hommage de ma gratitude, qui, si grande qu’elle puisse être, ne sera jamais à la hauteur de votre éloquence et de votre dévouement.
GUSTAVE FLAUBERT
Paris, 12 avril 1857 À Louis Bouilhet
PREMIÈRE PARTIE
I
Nous étions à l’Étude, quand le Proviseur entra, suivi d’un nouveau habillé en bourgeois et d’un garçon de classe qui portait un grand pupitre. Ceux qui dormaient se réveillèrent, et chacun se leva comme surpris dans son travail. Le Proviseur nous fit signe de nous rasseoir; puis, se tournant vers le maître d’études: