Gustave Flaubert

The Profile

Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880) was a French novelist associated with literary realism, best known for Madame Bovary (1857).

Madame Bovary was published in 1857; Flaubert was tried for obscenity in connection with the novel and was acquitted. He also wrote short fiction including Un Cœur Simple and the unfinished Bouvard et Pécuchet.

The available review praises Madame Bovary as a modern, timeless study of Emma Bovary's dissatisfaction and decline. The reviewer relates personally to Emma and coins 'bovarism' as central to the novel's reading. Isabelle Huppert's portrayal in Chabrol's film is highlighted as definitive. The review emphasizes the book's 1857 publication and its lasting relevance.