Arvin Sloane said:
“Oh, do not move! do not speak! look at me! Something so sweet comes from your eyes that helps me so much!”
Flaubert's realism is the coolest. I love how he satirizes all the characters, especially Homais, but it's kind of despairing how he projects this...hypocritical and pompous society...that is sort of reflective of our own really. None of Emma's romanticism comes to any good.
As for Flaubert himself, he spent 5 years on his first novel, polishing every single sentence until it was perfect. That alone deserves respect. Apparently, according to his mum, the 'search for the perfect phrase dessicated his heart'.
Anyway I like him because of his unique background - he gave up law and you know, travelled around in the Middle East, going to mosques and brothels - the mixture of profane and religion is really amusing to me for some reason...he never married, was scared of commitment apparently! And although he hated the bourgeoisie he remained a loyal and awkward member of this social class for his entire life....Madame Bovary, c'est moi...and I could sort of relate to him in an abstract way because it's such a compelling story...and while I was writing my own major work, which is rather personal, I went through this process...and yeah, Flaubert rocks and whoever wants to argue with that can come here and get walloped.
Edit: I just saw Sarah's post, I read it before I did the Ind and Soc module and I didn't get it either, you must really read into the context - like he was writing at a time of great change, what with the Industrial Rev going on - and while Paris was a centre of economic hubbub and sophistication the provinces languished...this is where Bovary is set...Emma longs for Paris, big cities, the sophistication she can't ever have, (Maupassant's 'The Necklace' is similar)... and Homais is reflective of the pompousness of the new middle class - he goes on about science when he knows nothing about it, Charles of the characteristic bourgeosie man - boring, plodding...
it's interesting to note how Flaubert situates Bovary just before the 1850s, when the changes really started to kick in - sort of the time of quiet before all the technology and communication got into swing...anyway, so it's quite a complex book but I really love it, it's just beautiful, well worth the read.
gordo - I've heard of it, I'm a bit skeptical - might be just a rehash of wild swans crap...
