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Madame Bovary

Realist and Literary Fiction

Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners, commonly known simply as Madame Bovary, is the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous Emma Bovary lives beyond her means to escape the ennui of provincial life; when the novel was first serialised in the Revue de Paris in late 1856, public prosecutors attacked it as obscene, and the resulting trial in January 1857 made it notorious before Flaubert's acquittal. Following his acquittal, Madame Bovary became a bestseller in April 1857 when published in two volumes, and is now ranked among Flaubert's masterpieces and one of the most influential literary works in history, a seminal work of literary realism. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Composed, From (Year)
from 1856 1
Composed, From (Year)
from 1857 1
Composed, To (Year)
to 1857 1
Serialised in the Revue de Paris in late 1856; published in two volumes April 1857.
Classification
Audience
General 1
Original Language
French 1
Madame Bovary
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FAQs

Why was Madame Bovary put on trial for obscenity?

Prosecutors called the serialised novel obscene, and argued that its realism offended art and decency; Flaubert was acquitted in February 1857.

Public prosecutors attacked the novel as obscene when it was first serialised in the Revue de Paris, between 1 October and 15 December 1856. The resulting trial in January 1857 made the book notorious. Realism was an important element in the case: the lead prosecutor argued that the novel was immoral and that realism in literature was an offence against art and decency. Flaubert was acquitted on 7 February 1857, and the novel became a bestseller in April 1857 when it was published in two volumes.
Connections

Authored By

Source Madame Bovary (Wikipedia)

Features Character

Source Emma Bovary (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors

In Genre

The Novel, Genres
Source Madame Bovary (Wikipedia)
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Original Language

Also in Language Atlas: the original language of this subject.

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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Source Madame Bovary (Wikipedia)tier 2
Sources
1. Madame Bovary (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section
    Madame Bovary...is the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857.
  • Lead
    commonly known as simply Madame Bovary, is the début novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857.
  • Lead paragraph
    Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners (French: Madame Bovary : Mœurs de province, pronounced [madam bɔvaʁi mœʁ(s) də pʁɔvɛ̃s]), commonly known as simply Madame Bovary, is the début novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert, originally published in 1856 and 1857. The eponymous character, Emma Bovary, lives beyond her means in order to escape the ennui of provincial life.
  • Authored By: Gustave Flaubert, Lead section, authorship
    Madame Bovary...is the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert.
  • In Genre: The Novel, Lead section, novel genre
    the debut novel of French writer Gustave Flaubert
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Emma Bovary (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationFeatures Character: Emma BovaryView the Source
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