January's read for the Reading the Classics book group. Emma is the wife of a small-town medical officer in 19th century France. She and Charles lead a reasonably comfortable but dull existence and Emma, young and pretty, feels the need for a life of thrills. Liaisons with two men in her orbit initially ignite her passions but ultimately can't be sustained. A wily shopkeeper senses Emma's restlessness and tempts her to spend vastly beyond her means with disastrous results. It sounds like a trite story of a foolish woman succumbing to stereotypically feminine weaknesses, but Flaubert is psychologically astute, and, unexpectedly, very funny. Gorgeous physical detail and a very strong sense of the city of Rouen and environs.
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