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| What I think of when I think of Paris: fabulous pastry for breakfast! This photo is from my interrupted trip to France at the end of May. |
Paris in July is a big bloggers’ party that has been ongoing for a number of years; 2014 was the first year that I participated. I had been reading other bloggers’ posts for a few years before that. Now it’s time again, and this year the organizer is Emma at Words and Peace: her introductory organizing post will kick things off July 1.
Although the event is called “Paris in July” any French topic is gladly accepted, including posts about books, food, films, travel, or any other topic about France, French literature, French cuisine, or whatever topic appeals to the writer. Many people plan what they will be reading and writing about, but that’s not my habit. Several book bloggers are reading Madame Bovary in French as part of this celebration of all things French. I didn’t have the courage to tackle this book in French, but last week I read it in translation.
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| The window of a wine shop. Paris, May, 2024. |
Reading Madame Bovary
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| The number of covers for editions of Madame Bovary is amazing. |
Since its publication in 1856, Madame Bovary must have been reviewed thousands of times. So why should I have the nerve to add anything? It’s been many years since I read it for the first time, and I remembered quite a few details as I just reread it. What impressed me is how Flaubert was so detailed in his observations of the life of this woman, who simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary. His tiny observations added up to her vanity, her shallowness, her desperation to be released from boredom, and her wish to feel passion and to be admired. Above all I was amazed at the level of detail with which he described her final agony and death, followed by her funeral.
Blog post and photos © 2024 mae sander
13 comments:
I haven't read Madame Bovary, but have watched a movie based on the book.
I remember reading Madame Bovary. I was In high school, and I admit I'd get more out of it now, but it was eye-opening at the time.
I'm watching the France-Belgium game right now. Go, France!
wow, you start with a bang, with these awesome pictures of plenty! I guess I'm going to get super hungry this month lol.
Hmm, some nice spoiler here for Madame Bovary, but anyway, it's a French book, so all readers should know it never ends well, lol.
I do enjoy the level of details in all major French classic authors: Flaubert, Balzac, Stendhal, Zola.
Have fun!
Hi Emma,
I guess the difference between our two posts is that my spoiler is in English. The quote you gave about Madame Bovary had these words: “Dans chacune de ses phrases, Flaubert a versé une dose de cet arsenic dont Emma Bovary s’empoisonne…” — also a spoiler? So much has been written about the book that I didn’t see how the ending could be unrevealed.
mae
Now I'm hungry and a bit thirsty. LOL I don't think I've read Madame Bovary.
sherry @ fundinmental
Ths is the first year since it started I haven't done Paris in July. I didn't even know it was coming till someone else mentioned it. but I'll enjoy seeing the posts!
I read Madame Bovary in high school, and I remember most feeling great compassion for Emma. I remember feeling like I wanted to be freer in my life than Emma, to do things, to explore the world, to meet people. Looking back, I'm glad I read this book when I was young; for me, it was a cautionary tale.
I just had a wonderful three weeks in France, enjoying croissants every day, going to art galleries, and admiring medieval buildings. It's such a wonderful country, isn't it? I have yet to read the book in either language, but you are inspiring me to do so!
Wren x
I love this time of the blogging year!! Happy Paris in July!
Those pastries are making me hungry. And isn't looking at book covers and how they vary always fun? hugs-Erika
Pastries and wine - now that's the good side of France. Throw in a little cheese too. As for Madame Bovary, I have never read it so I am unable to add to the discourse. I recently re-read, in the original French, "Moulin Rouge", the story of Toulouse-Lautrec.
Those pastries look so gooooood! I want them all.
Can you believe that, not only have I never read Madame Bovary, I know absolutely nothing about it! No clue what it's about. I'll hop over to Goodreads and read the blurb and decide if I want to add it to my TBR or not. Since it's a classic, I imagine I'll need to order myself a physical book because if a book takes any amount of brain power, I can't read it via Kindle. My brain is very weird. LOL
Can there be many readers who don't know how Madame Bovary ends? I would not worry too much about plot spoilers. Anyway, from page one we can see this story is not going to end well. I am still slogging through my read in French, and as you say, there are so many details that bring the people and the place to life -- they do seem to be real, which I think was Flaubert's achievement. However, it's a sad world.
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