Who could have predicted that Madame Bovary, a novel deemed shocking enough to put its author Gustave Flaubert on trial for "offenses à la morale publique et à la religion" in 1857, would become one of the most beloved masterpieces of French literature? Its success lies mostly in the mesmerising figure of its main character, the forever unsatisfied Emma Bovary. Bored in her bourgeois countryside life, Emma dreams of romance, passion and wealth, but her escape attempts ultimately lead to tragedy. Despite her many flaws, Madame Bovary's passion makes her a compelling and relatable heroine. As part of our series "Les Héroïnes de la Littérature Française", (re)discover the quintessential femme insatisfaite in our article below.
After listening to the audio, click any word for the English translation and links to related grammar lessons.
Note: The tenses in this French article and its English translation don't match! In French, we use the present tense to describe historical stories like this to evoke a sense of immediacy, whereas in English, we commonly use the past tense - learn more about historical French tenses.
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